Perseverance
by Relen
Summary: Izuku Midoriya was four years old when he learned that he was quirkless. How could he ever become a hero without a power? Everyone told him that he couldn't do it, until someone told him that he could. Izuku is trained from a tender age by a retired pro hero named Silver Fang, he's gonna be the best hero. Featuring: Op Izuku, IzuOcha, Confident Izuku, Martial Arts, quirkless Izuku.
1. Chapter 1

Izuku Midoriya was four years old when he discovered that he was quirkless. No amount of tears or kind words from his mother would change this life altering fact, this dream crushing reality. Izuku didn't give up on his dream though, he couldn't. He would just have to be the first quirkless hero and show the world that they were wrong. He happily told his friends about this, and from then on things just got worse. Izuku began coming home every day with burn marks and bruises, his clothes singed from the torment of his old friend Katsuki Bakugou. That little sand-blonde scoundrel was an absolute tyrant, he bullied Izuku not because he wanted to prevent him from hurting himself while searching for the title of a hero, no. His heart was not capable of such nobility. He bullied Izuku relentlessly simply because he was different, and he still had a big dream anyway.

It had only been a few months since Inko learned Izuku was quirkless, and things had already come this far. She was painfully aware of how the quirkless population was treated, and she had hoped in vain that their fate was not her son's, but she knew she was wrong, and she had had enough. She had gone to the school, to the parents of that wretched and spoiled child that tormented her sweet baby, and even to some of the teachers personally, but to no avail. The only course of action remaining was to teach Izuku to defend himself, something she couldn't do herself. She had seen fliers around town of some martial arts dojo that was struggling under a low membership. It was led by a retired pro hero, a rather high ranking one at that. The only reason for its lack of popularity was the fact that a few years back, one of his students went on a murderous rampage and disabled all of his other learners, scaring off anyone who would otherwise be interested in learning the veterans peerless martial arts. She was desperate though, and if anyone could help her Izuku, it was him. The ascent to the dojo itself was a workout on its own, the poor woman must have been climbing the stairs for several minutes before she finally reached the top. She opened the door to find an old man washing the floors by himself. This man was the retired hero Silver Fang, or Bang. He wore a form fitting black turtleneck and white pants. His spiky white hair flowed back away from his forehead, and his body, though old, still showed signs of his lifelong endeavors as a martial artist and a hero. He paused his activity and peered over at the woman curiously. She was relatively fit, but was far from the type to pursue martial arts. Maybe she had a son?

"Welcome to my dojo. How can I help you?" He inquired, his bushy white mustache dancing along with his words.

"I would like to sign my son up for your dojo." Inko responded. The old man's face visibly lit up at this, and he strode towards her excitedly.

"Wonderful! How old is he?" He asked. Naturally, there was an age requirement to train with him.

"He's four years old." Inko replied sadly, knowing she'd get turned down.

"I'm afraid that's far too young for me to train him. Come back when he's older." He replied.

"Can you please make an exception?" Inko pleaded.

"Why?" Bang asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman who for some reason wouldn't take no for an answer. He was already tempted enough to break his rule as it was. It wasn't that he needed the students per se, but he had been rather lonely since he retired. The spark of youth always inspired him and kept him going, how they loved to learn and would always get back up. He remembered the golden days of his dojo when it was popular, when men and women from across Japan would come to train under him, but those days ended some time ago. Garou personally saw to that.

"He's quirkless . . he wants to be a hero so badly, but he's being bullied and tormented, being told he's useless. Nobody else will help him." Inko informed the elderly man, tears forming in her eyes. "If you don't help him, I don't know who else wi-" She was cut off before she could continue.

"You've convinced me. Bring him here tomorrow so that I can meet with the boy, we will discuss the dojo subscription then. I look forward to seeing more of you both." Bang cheerfully told her, instantly improving the woman's mood.

"Really?! Thank you so much! I can't wait to go home and tell him! I'll see you tomorrow!" Inko exclaimed, scrambling out of the dojo with a bright smile on her face. It had been some time since Bang had the opportunity to heavily influence a young man's life. In fact, the last time he had this chance was with Garou. This time, Bang told himself, he would get it right.

Meanwhile, Inko practically flew down the steps as she rushed to her car to bring the good news to Izuku. Her boy would be so excited to learn from one of the best heroes ever! Back in his hayday, Inko had no doubt that Silver Fang would have given All Might a run for his money, and there was noone better to teach her boy. Part of her secretly hoped he would take the lessons to heart and teach his bullies a thing or two, but she knew he wasn't like that. Before she knew it, she was at the bottom of the steps and already on her way towards her house. It was a big plus that the dojo was only a few blocks away from her apartment, she wouldn't have to drive Izuku there, though she'd be tempted to.

Soon enough, she arrived at her house. She ran towards Izuku and enveloped her now confused son in a tight hug.

"W-What's wrong mom?" Izuku asked in an adorably squeaky voice.

"Remember that dojo I told you about? He agreed to meet with you! We're gonna go see him tomorrow! You're gonna meet the hero Silver Fang!" She excitedly told her son, stars appearing in the boy's eyes at the mention of Silver Fang.

"Wow! He's such a cool hero! I'm gonna train under him? I'm gonna be a cool hero too! I'm gonna save people mom! Just like All Might!" Izuku exclaimed as he dashed around the house, a green beam of pure exuberance.

"Now Izuku, why don't you head to bed? We have a big day tomorrow!" Inko told her son with a smile on her face.

"Ok mom!" Izuku responded, already dressed in his All Might onesie. Inko swore up and down that he was the cutest thing on the planet. Izuku climbed into bed happily and his mother told him a bedtime story about All Might. Izuku drifted off quickly, tomorrow would start before he knew it. Little did the young boy know that the very next day would be the first step in his long journey to become the world's greatest hero.

The designated meeting time couldn't come fast enough for either Inko nor Izuku, and soon enough they found themselves ascending the steps towards Bang's impressive dojo. Once they reached the top, Inko was heavily winded, but Izuku was fine, his youth burning brightly. Almost on queue, the doors to the dojo opened and Bang poked his head out and peered happily at the young boy. He could see it in his eyes, this young man would become a hero. Everything was present, hope, compassion, and the willingness to help people. Bang just needed to form Izuku into a weapon of justice, and he would do just that.

It didn't matter if Izuku was a prodigy or not, though it certainly would help. Since Izuku would be his only student, he could focus all of his time and energy into the young man's development. He didn't outwardly show it through his stoic demeanor, but Bang was quite excited.

"You must be Izuku, I met your mother yesterday. She told me all about you and how you wanted to become a hero." Bang said, looking happily at the child before him.

"Yeah! I want to save people, just like All Might! It's just . . . I'm quirkless, so I don't know if I can." The child lamented, his exuberance fading into something almost akin to depression, an emotion far too mature and dark for such a young boy to be experiencing.

"It doesn't matter if you're quirkless, young child. You too can become a hero. After all, I am quirkless too." Bang said, a glint of reminiscence in his eyes.

"What?! No way! So I can be a cool hero even without a quirk?" Izuku asked, the hope he was feeling shining clear as day. This little boy certainly wore his heart on his sleeve, something that would surely help him connect with people as a hero.

"Yes, I'm going to train you, and then you're going to attend Yueii. How does that sound?" Bang asked, ruffling Izuku's mess of green hair. He then turned to Inko. "Don't worry about the subscription, I'm very well off after my work as a hero. I am going to fully devote myself to your son's development. He's going to be the best hero the world has ever seen." Bang informed her.

Inko didn't know what to say. It was already an incredible act of kindness for Bang to even consider teaching her son, but to promise to devote himself to Izuku's development, for him to see in her son what she herself had always seen in him, it brought her to tears. "Thank you so much Bang!" She said, giving the old man a bear hug. Bang patted the sobbing mother's back, soothing her.

"I'll have Izuku home for supper, and I want him coming back any time he can. I wasn't lying when I said that I see tremendous potential in your son, and I can't wait to unlock it." Bang informed her. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I'll introduce him to the basics of martial arts."

After Inko left, Bang turned to Izuku, sizing the young boy up. "You're still very young, so for a while we won't be able to do much more than simple exercises and the basics, but you'll learn soon enough. Now, why don't I tell you all about Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist. Would you like a demonstration?" Bang asked, offering the young boy a curious look.

"Yeah! Please show me!" Izuku cheered, hopping up and down in childlike excitement. Bang chuckled at the young boy's innocence, turning to one of the dummies he had in his dojo and releasing an incredible flurry of strikes against it, shattering the wooden dummy to splinters.

"Wow!" Izuku exclaimed. "That's so cool!"

"Young man, I'm not going to lie to you. My training is very harsh, there's a reason that I don't usually teach children, but for you I'm making an exception. I pride myself with my martial arts style, a perfect combination of offence and defence. It is difficult to learn, and even harder to master. Even though you're only four, I'm still going to push you to the limits, starting today. We're going to develop your body into a powerful vessel, one with which you can protect the innocent and smite evil with. This won't be easy, can you promise me that you'll see it through?" Bang asked.

"I will! I promise!" Izuku exclaimed, pumping his little fist into the air. He didn't quite understand what he was getting himself into, but he did know one thing. He was going to be a hero at any cost, and it was a nice change of pace to have someone besides his mother in his corner. That day, Izuku did some simple exercises and was introduced to the basics of martial arts. He was surprisingly tuckered out when he finally returned to his mother, but he was still excited nonetheless.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, and before she knew it, years were flying by. Izuku was ten years old now, and his body was beginning to take shape, and so was his technique. He was noticeably leaner than the other boys in his year, both in and out of clothes. In tandem with this, his dietary needs increased as well. Her son had the appetite of two ravenous boys, forcing her to cook portions that could be mistaken for a family meal just to keep up. She didn't mind though. She had never seen him happier than when he was training with Bang. Better yet was how Katsuki found the prospect of picking on Izuku to be more and more daunting as the years went by, eventually resorting to muttering "stupid deku" under his breath as they passed each other in the hallways. Katsuki was taken aback by how intimidating the "quirkless loser" had become. After being publicly humiliated by the young man after attacking him one day, he considered giving up the prospect of bullying him entirely, though he eventually refused the idea. Deku was quirkless, there was no way he was better than him, a prodigy, a god amongst men. His quirk was both flashy and strong, he was going to surpass All Might and become the best hero, nobody was going to get in his way.

One day when Izuku arrived at the dojo, he discovered that his mentor had something special in store for his lesson today. His efforts had mostly been focused on building up his body and mastering the basics of the art, accompanied by the occasional light sparring session with Bang. Today however, would be different.

"I have something to tell you about, so sit down and listen." Bang instructed his pupil. Izuku did as he was told immediately, not out of fear, but out of respect for his master. He silently awaited for Bang to continue. "You have already grown surprisingly strong for a boy of your age, and you will only continue to improve. There's a secret that nobody knows about training and how the human body works. Each and every person has a limit on how strong they can become, regardless of quirk. Quirkless individuals however, are different. We have a far more forgiving limiter, almost as an evolutionary defense. Through training and devotion, we can ascend to the ranks of those with tremendous power and stand beside them. I am telling you this because this is your path, and I am also telling you this to warn you. From now until the entrance exams for U.A, We will be kicking things into full throttle. This included upping the frequency and intensity of the sparring sessions, tripling Izuku's workout regimen, and moving on to the more advanced applications of the flowing water rock smashing fist. He even began to introduce some applications of his brother's style, the iron whirlwind murderous fist. Izuku took to this style just as quickly as he did the other, quickly becoming proficient in both.

Time passed and several times Izuku collapsed mid session, refusing to give up until darkness overtook him and he reached his limit. On these occasions, Bang would lift Izuku up and deliver him to his house, receiving an understanding smile from Inko in response. She had long since come to terms with the sheer dedication her son put into his training. He was devoted to becoming a hero. He would occasionally overdo it or come home with bruises, but that was just the price of progress. Every day she would see her son continue to practice and exercise at home, growing more impressive each and every time she saw him.

One day, about ten months before the entrance exam, the teacher was passing out career aptitude tests. "What's the point?" He asked. "I know you all want to go to U.A and become heroes!" In response to this, all of the students present showed off their quirks brazenly, excited at the prospect of becoming a popular, flashy hero.

"Hey teach, don't lump me in with the rest of these extras. I'm the real deal." Katsuki said, pointing his thumb at his chest as it swelled with pride. This caused some of the more brave students to grumble, but most of them remained silent out of fear. Katsuki was well known as a violent and arrogant bully, more than happy to step on the backs of anyone and everyone on the way up to the top of the dogpile.

"Well you certainly have an excellent chance to get in. Ah, and Midoriya, don't you plan on applying to U.A as well?" The teacher inquired. Normally the entire class would snicker at the prospect of a quirkless individual applying for one of the top hero schools in the country, but this was not the case. They all knew one thing, one thing that had been proven time and time again, one thing had made itself present in the way their classmate carried himself. Izuku Midoriya was strong. They didn't know how, but he was intimidatingly strong.

"As if this fucking loser is gonna get into U.A! I'm the only one going to U.A! You hear that you piece of shit?!" Katsuki cursed at the boy. His vocabulary was just as distasteful and detestable as his personality. He began striding confidently towards Izuku, small explosions leaking out of his palms as he planned on how to assault the boy. Once he got within Izuku's personal bubble, Izuku responded in one swift motion that ended the fight before it even began. He took hold of both of Katsuki's wrists and brought his right knee up into his target's mouth, almost knocking a tooth out and breaking the bully's nose. Katsuki was left clutching his bloodied maw as Izuku calmly returned to his seat. This was clearly an act of self defence, so Izuku was let off with a warning to be less forceful and Katsuki was sent to the nurse's office.

Izuku was walking home when he felt a presence forming behind him.

"Ooh a vessel, and a nice and strong one too, just hold tight there kid, it'll all be over soon." The sludge villain said. There was a flash of motion and blue trails before the villain was splattered all over the wall. Shortly before this occurred, All Might had climbed out of the sewer in search of the villain. Izuku noticed him but kept his attention on his defeated assailant, ensuring it wouldn't suddenly reform. Needless to say, All Might was surprised by the boy's display of power. He couldn't have been much older than fourteen and yet he dealt with that slime villain like a pro. The boy turned to All Might and smiled confidently.

"Hi All Might. It's nice to meet you!" Izuku exclaimed. His inner fanboyism and nervousness had diminished into a much more calm and collected demeanor, but he was still excited to see his idol.

"Nice job with that villain my boy. You took care of him like an expert! That's some quirk you have there." All Might said. This caused the boy to laugh, something that confused the hero.

"It's not a quirk, it's just martial arts. I'm quirkless." Izuku explained.

"What?" All might asked. "Then how did you defeat the villain?"

"Like I said, I used martial arts. I've been practicing since I was four." Izuku told him.

"That's impressive. That would mean you have what, ten years under your belt? What martial arts was it? It looked familiar." All might asked.

"It's called flowing water rock smashing fist." Izuku explained, taking a stance to show All Might what it was before dropping it. His movements were incredibly fluid and practiced, each motion barely discernible from the previous that led into it. All Might also noticed the boy's physique. He was quite muscular, but in a more graceful way than the likes of he or Endeavor.

"So Silver Fang has taken up a new disciple? I thought he retired." All might pondered aloud. "Could you take me to him?"

"I don't see why not. I'm headed there anyway." Izuku explained. The pair made their way towards the dojo. Shortly after departing, All Might turned into a rather emaciated looking man, much shorter and weaker looking than the tall and broad hero that everyone knew and loved.

"Oh? So yours is a transformation type quirk. Interesting." Izuku commented, otherwise unphased by All Might's change in appearance. All Might was surprised by how well the teenager handled his metamorphosis, so he decided to question him on the matter.

"You handled that pretty well. Most people would freak out and ask where All Might went." All Might said. His once proud and fierce smile was now weary and meek.

"Master Bang told me to never judge a book by its cover. He and I are great examples of this. We wield strength far beyond what our bodies appear to be capable of."

"I see. How strong are you, my boy? How close are you to mastering his craft?" All Might inquired. Silver Fang had been a powerful ally once All Might became the symbol of peace. He was surprised time and time again at the power that the old man wielded, the grace he exuded in his movements and flowing strikes.

"I've almost mastered it. I've also almost mastered his brother's style of martial arts as well, iron whirlwind murderous fist.." Izuku responded, his voice unchanging as if the act of mastering the two greatest martial art styles in Japan was a common occurrence.

"I see." All might responded simply, sizing the boy up once again. To think that he had already acquired two of the most fearsome fighting styles on earth at such a young age, perhaps he could bless him with his quirk? A hero with both incredible power and peerless technique . . What an incredible thought.

All Might left his thoughts once he saw the young man begin to climb the stairs at a surprisingly excited pace. All Might briefly summoned his muscle form and leapt up the stairs. Seeing this, Izuku increased his own pace as well, arriving only a moment after All Might. They entered the dojo together and were met with an inquisitive Bang.

"Oh? Did you bring a friend Izuku?" The old practitioner inquired, only for his eyes to widen in recognition a few second later.

"All Might, it's a pleasure to see you again." Bang commented, bowing to his prior comrade. He then turned to his pupil. "Izuku, go get dressed in your gi, we have a lot to do today. The entrance exams are coming up soon." Izuku nodded and strode off in the direction of the changing rooms the dojo had, leaving All Might and Bang alone.

"That's quite a pupil you have there. I was surprised by his strength until I saw that he was one of yours. So you're going to have him apply for U.A?" All Might asked.

"He will, and he'll get in too. He's grown to be very strong, perhaps as strong as Garou was when he started hunting top tier heroes." Bang explained.

"Really!?" All Might asked incredulously, almost shouting. "He's that strong? That's surprising considering how young he is."

"It is. He's a prodigy, just like Garou was. I started teaching him when he was four, and this time I did it right." Bang paused for a moment before continuing, his face contorting as if he was warding off a bad memory. "He has it, Toshinori. The spark of heroism. I saw it in his eyes when we first met, and since then it has only grown. Quirk or not he was going to pursue the title of a hero, so I just gave him the tools he needed to do so. He's practically mastered it now, I couldn't be more proud." Bang then turned to All Might and wore an expression as if he remembered something important. "You should be searching for a successor by now, right? Are you interested in him?"

"I'm not sure. He certainly has the strength to wield it, but I must be certain of his character." All Might replied. "Either way, I should be going."

A few moments after All Might had departed, Izuku came out of the changing room wearing his gi and black belt.

"Izuku, you have come very far since you first set foot in my dojo. I'm afraid that there's not much more to teach you. There is but one technique remaining before you know everything I do, and after that it's all about refining yourself. This technique is a powerful last resort, though it comes at a hefty price. Using this technique takes up most of your energy, it's an all or nothing bet that you should only use when pushed into a corner. It is called roaring aura void ripping fist. It's a relatively simple sequence of motions, though it is the most effective way to pour out every last drop of energy your body has. You first drive your foot into the earth and then transfer that momentum into an uppercut style strike. You must prepare yourself before using this, it is quite taxing. Young as you are, you might be able to get away with it, but an old man like me would get tuckered out after doing it just once. It combines the best aspects of the two fighting styles you've learned so far."

After Izuku had gotten the hang of the sequence of movements associated with this finishing strike, he sparred with his master and then did his exercise regimen. As he was making to leave the dojo, Bang caught his attention.

"I want you to double your training regimen in these ten months leading up to the exam. You already know everything I can teach you, but I ask that you continue coming here to further sharpen yourself. If you feel up to adding some community service into your training, you could clean up the Dagobah municipal beach and train there. I've been told that the view is quite incredible" Bang instructed him, smiling pridefully at his student.

The following day, Izuku did as he was told and arrived at the beach, finding mountains upon mountains of trash residing in the once pristine area. He then began clearing the rubbage, and within two months the beach was returned to its natural state. He informed his master of his progress and told him that he would like to train there with him if he felt up to it. Tourists returned to the beach, and the sight of a strong young man sparring with an elderly martial artist became commonplace. Seldom few witnessed any intensity between the master and the student, though all of their circumstantial spectators knew that they were both master level practitioners. A few people recognized the man as the retired hero Silver Fang, though out of respect they neglected to mention anything. The months passed and Izuku's strength only increased, and before he knew it, it was the morning of the entrance exam. Izuku and Bang arrived together at the beach for their morning exercise, warming up for the day ahead. A few weeks back, Izuku had gotten a haircut that closely resembled Bang's style, something that drew a chuckle and a compliment out of the man, saying it suited him. Today, Izuku wore the same outfit Bang would wear during his hero activities, a simple form fitting black shirt and white gi pants.

"Thank you for teaching me, I will make you proud today." Izuku promised. He had come so far from the stuttering four year old cowering in the shadow of his childhood tormentors. He was practically a man now, and he was ready to take on the world.

"I know you will, and I wish you the best of luck today." Bang told him. "I am well aware that you will have to focus on your hero studies instead of martial arts once you begin attending the academy, just don't forget to drop in every once in a while." The old man said with a chortle. Izuku smiled warmly in response and bowed to his master, thanking him once again for all that he had done. He then departed for the site of the entrance exam, taking his time to walk there instead of taking the train, it was a rather scenic route and he had a lot to think about.

He stopped by his house and gathered his backpack, which contained the essentials for the written exam. Due to his relaxed walking pace, he arrived at U.A right on time. A bustle of activity was present all throughout the campus, students frantically making their way in for a shot at their dreams. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a rather attractive looking brunette trip and begin to fall.

Ochako cursed herself. She was way more nervous than she would rather admit to, and tripping and falling on her face was not helping. Before she could activate her quirk to save herself, she felt a soft gust of wind and a pair of strong arms catch her. She looked up to see a young man around her age, looking down at her with visible worry on his face. He released her before the hold became awkward, helping her up in the process.

"You alright?" He asked, worried that the young lady was allowing her nerves to get the best of her.

"Yeah, I kinda just lost my balance there, thanks for helping out. You got to me pretty fast, do you have some kinda super speed quirk?" She inquired, curious about the boy who had just saved her from face planting.

"Nope, I'm quirkless." He responded.

"Then how . . ? Why are you applying here?" She asked, flummoxed as to why a quirkless individual would apply for a hero school. She wasn't judging him, far from it. She was just curious.

He laughed it off good naturedly. "I'm strong, you'll see." He responded, smiling warmly at her. "We should hurry up though, don't want to be late! By the way, what's your name?"

"Ochako Uraraka. What's yours?"

"Izuku Midoriya."

Both teens turned and rushed into their exams after wishing each other luck, though Ochako couldn't get that boy out of her mind for some reason.


	2. The Exam

The written portion of the exam was fairly easy, Izuku had studied hard. He knew that he would have to sharpen not only his body but also his mind if he wanted to make it into U.A, and that's just what he did. Now it was time for the fun part: the practical. All of the students attending were filtered into a large auditorium where the vocal hero Present Mic was delivering the information about the exam to the students. It was simple enough, just destroy robots until the exam was over. Izuku was paying attention attentively until a large and rather overbearing blue haired boy raised his hand and practically surged out of his seat.

"Sir! You said there are three robots, but on this sheet that you distributed there are clearly four! If this is an error then the prestigious image of this academy will surely be severely tarnished!" The boy exclaimed.

"Right you are!" Present Mic responded. "That fourth robot is the zero pointer, there's no merit in defeating it so you should just view it as an obstacle! Now, everyone to your battle areas, pronto!"

Upon arriving at his area, Izuku found that he was grouped with the blue haired boy and Ochako. Under normal circumstances he would have gone to say hi to her, but now they all just needed to focus. The blue haired boy noticed his lengthened gaze on Ochako and approached him.

"You! You shouldn't disturb her, do you intend to sabotage her efforts? Clearly she is trying to focus!" he exclaimed in a rather scolding manner. Izuku turned his gaze to the boy and explained himself.

"You need to relax. I was staring off into space while thinking up strategies for the exam, if anyone is doing any disturbing, it's you." He responded coldly. The bespectacled boy was shocked by this, and he turned away and walked off somberly. Izuku cursed inwardly, he hadn't meant to be that harsh. He would have to catch up and apologise later.

Suddenly the doors opened, but Izuku was ready. He dashed forward at easily three times the speed of all of the other examinees besides the blue haired boy, rushing towards a group of three pointers he spotted. In one fluid strike, he destroyed all three of them, continuing his mad dash for more targets. He found a group of one and two pointers and dispatched them in a similar manner, leaving some of the students in awe, questioning his quirk briefly before returning to their own mad pursuit of exam continued and things were going swimmingly for Izuku. He found an additional party of three pointers next, electing to use his other style this time. He whirled his hands around rapidly in front of him and pushed forward, causing wind pressure to slice the robots into circular pieces.

He had already racked up about sixty-three points when the ground began to rumble and shake. Izuku gazed up to see a massive metal behemoth, the zero pointer. He was about to start running when he heard a faint cry for help in the distance. Unwilling to ignore the plea, he sprinted towards it, finding his new friend Ochako trapped under some debris as the zero pointer approached. He had no idea what her quirk was, but she looked like she needed help regardless. Izuku was still quite far away and the zero pointer was encroaching rapidly on its target. Right as it was about to crush the young girl, its motion was stopped. All of the examinees had looked away, expecting to hear a final cry, or anything else pertaining to the girl's untimely demise, but no sound came. When they finally turned they saw an incredible scene. There, standing above Ochako, was Izuku Midoriya, blocking the giant foot from squashing her.

Every single cell in his body was screaming at him. This was a terrible idea, he should have just ran faster and picked her up and dashed off. He knew deep down that that wasn't an option though, even with his enhanced body. He couldn't make it there that fast, but then how was he holding this thing up? Simple: adrenaline.

Ochako glanced up a few seconds after the delay of her untimely demise to see her new friend Izuku _**holding up the zero pointer.**_ Every single vein in his upper body and face was heavily pronounced as he strained under its colossal weight. The pavement beneath them cracked and crumbled as he struggled against the robotic structure. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he finally managed to tip the giant backwards, much to the astonishment of the teachers observing.

"What an outstanding young man, and what incredible strength too!" Principal Nedzu exclaimed delightedly. The rest of the teachers were speechless. The zero pointer was crushed by its own weight upon landing, and Izuku then promptly collapsed beside Ochako, panting heavily. He looked over and saw that she was still covered in debris, so he summoned what little energy he had left to free her. He then lied back down beside her, completely beat. He was still on his back and breathing heavily when recovery girl came and tended to her wounds. By now, a relatively large crowd had gathered around the pair as they dragged themselves up.

"What the hell was that? That dude held off the zero pointer! He looked strong, sure, but not that strong!"

"That was quite a display of strength, I'm sure he'll make it into the academy. I'm not too certain about myself though."

"That was insane! Who knew a kid like us could be that powerful! How come he's all tuckered out though?"

Tenya's mind was reeling. That boy must've understood the true nature of the exam, something he himself had missed. He risked life and limb to save that girl, would he have done the same? Of course he would have, but this was a test! How could he have missed it?!

Izuku saw that the blue haired boy was turning to leave so he hoisted himself up to approach him.

"Hey! Sorry about earlier, I was stressed so I snapped at you. I shouldn't have done that." Izuku apologised.

"I assure you that it's not an issue. I was the one who was in error if anything, though I thank you for the apology. My name is Tenya Iida, what is yours?" Tenya asked.

"My name is Izuku Midoriya, It's nice to meet you Iida." Izuku said warmly. "I look forward to interacting with you more in class, but until then goodbye!" Izuku said, running back to Ochako because she probably needed help.

"Hey, how are you doing? Can you walk?" Izuku asked, the same concern present in his voice that was in it earlier when he first saved her from face planting. She gazed up at him silently as she studied his features. She reached the conclusion that he was handsome, if a little plain looking. He noticed her stare and chuckled at her.

"You gonna keep staring at me or are you gonna respond?" He jokingly asked.

"I'm fine! I can walk just fine! Just a little tired." She responded very quickly, her cheeks tainted with a rather heavy blush. Izuku wasn't experienced in romance, but he wasn't dense either, and this girl was cute. He was going to play off of this.

"Me too! And hungry! Want to grab a bite to eat? I know a place not far from here." He asked, raising an eyebrow at his companion to be. This only caused her blush to intensify.

"L-like a date?! She asked, still blushing. If he kept going she might explode, so he conceded a bit.

"That's up to you. I'm going there anyway and if anything its free food on your part. My treat." He told her.

"Ok, I'll come. I'm hungry too." She said as she smiled brightly at him, receiving a grin from the young man in response. Ochako wasn't too sure about this boy, he seemed nice enough though. He did just save her life after all. The offer of free food was too enticing to pass up anyway, the exam and Recovery Girl's healing had taken its toll on her. The two teenagers changed and met back up in front of the gates of U.A where they had first seen each other.

"Hey there, ready to go?" Izuku asked. He was still wearing the same outfit he wore during the exam, though he had cleaned himself off as best he could.

"Yup, all set!" Ochako responded, truly excited at the prospect of a nice lunch with the mysterious quirkless boy who saved her. They started walking in the direction of what must have been the restaurant, an awkward silence forming between the two. Ochako finally decided to break the ice.

"So how many points did you get? Do you think you made it in?" She inquired. The strength he displayed had confused her, someone who was quirkless shouldn't have been capable of that sort of feat. She was now hopelessly curious about him.

"I managed to rack up about sixty-three points before what happened with the zero pointer, so I think I made it in nice and safe." He responded.

"Thanks again for that, it was gonna squash me! That was so awesome, how did you do it?" She asked, practically begging for an answer with childlike curiosity and wonder.

"How about I show you after lunch? I've got to head to the dojo after this anyway to tell my master about how the test went, so why don't you tag along and I'll walk you home afterwards. Besides, all of my training hasn't left me much time to make many friends, so I'm sure Bang will love to meet you." Izuku explained. Ochako pondered this for a moment, but once again decided to trust in the character of her new friend, agreeing to accompany him further.

"Sure, then the both of you can tell me all about whatever is going on with you. I'm dying to know." She answered. By the time the conversation reached its conclusion, the two teenagers had arrived at the restaurant in question. It was a rather homey establishment, serving an assortment of relatively well priced meats and soups, even some western dishes like burgers and fries. The two of them were promptly sat down at a booth. It was then that Ochako finally realized the severity of her situation, she was on a date. It hadn't been her first, she was reasonably attractive so she had received her fair share of confessions throughout the years, but nothing ever stuck. She knew that she should ready herself to hunker down and focus on her studies, but for some reason she decided that she'd give this boy a chance.

"So . . " She trailed off awkwardly, looking down at her menu which was far more interesting than it had a right to be. "I've decided that I want this to be a date."

"Awesome!" He exclaimed excitedly. "You're my first date then." This surprised Ochako, and it was clear on her face. Her astonishment was present in every aspect of her expression when she questioned him on this fact.

"Really? But you were so smooth when you asked me out, you even offered to pay for me. I'll let it slide this time but next time we're splitting the bill." She told him in an almost feisty manner.

"I surprised myself there to be honest. I don't usually just ask a girl on a date, so I don't know where that came from. I'm just glad I did. In terms of splitting the bill, we can do that next time. My appetite is gonna be something else after today." He informed her.

"How so?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy's admission.

"Whenever I use up that much energy, I need to restock. Back when I saved you during the exam, I used everything I had to keep that thing from squishing you." He explained. As he said this, the waitress arrived to receive their orders. Izuku ordered something called the famished fanatic special while Ochako ordered chicken with vegetables and extra rice. Their food arrived very quickly and the two wordlessly dug in. Both of them were far too hungry to even acknowledge each other before their meal was finished. Ochako looked up from her empty plate to see Izuku's massive bowl of katsudon that he had ordered was empty as well. When their orders had arrived, Ochako was shocked by the proportions of Izuku's meal. The bowl looked big enough to feed an entire family, yet one hungry teenager had finished it alone. Izuku covered the tab and the pair left the restaurant, enjoying the afternoon air. Once they started walking, Ochako decided to strike up a conversation.

"So why do you want to be a hero?" She asked.

"I want to save people. I want to help, I always have. Ever since I was a kid seeing All Might on the computer for the first time, it just clicked for me. I want to be an inspiring hero just like he is, to defeat evil with a big, confident smile that tells everyone thats its going to be ok." He explained, his eyes showing intense conviction and excitement as he talked about his lifelong dream. "What about you?" He inquired.

"It's kind of embarrassing after your awesome reason . ." She confessed, trailing off. "My reason just seems kind of silly now."

"I'm sure it isn't that bad, you can tell me." He promised her, trying to comfort the now shy girl standing before him.

"I want to become a hero for money. I want to become wealthy so that I can support my parents and give them the life that they deserve. I want to pay them back for all of the things that they've done for me." She proclaimed, fiery determination burning in his eyes, an ire that matched his own.

"What were you thinking saying it was a silly reaason? That's an awesome reason to become a hero!" Izuku said, cheering for her. "You're going to help and save people while helping your parents financially too, that's so cool!".

"You think so?" She asked, surprised by his acceptance and even supportiveness of her vision. Most people would call her selfish or greedy for seeking to become a hero for financial purposes, but this guy got behind her without a second thought. He was a keeper alright. She was pulled away from her pleasant trail of thoughts by another question from Izuku.

"By the way, what's your quirk? I never really got a chance to see you use it." He explained.

"My quirk is called zero gravity, when I touch something with all five of the pads on my fingers, it loses its gravitational pull."

"That's a really cool power Uraraka! It would be great for rescuing people!" He said enthusiastically before abruptly turning and beginning to ascend a startlingly large set of stairs.

"Oh, we're here! The stairs are quite a hurdle on your first time coming here, so just pace yourself." Izuku said as he began to climb the stairs at an even more excited and urgent pace than he had been walking at. Ochako struggled to keep up with him and ended up severely winding herself just to reach the top at the same time.

"Jeez. I guess I'm not in as great a shape as I thought huh?" She asked, chuckling at herself. Once she had managed to catch her breath, they entered the dojo to find it empty save for an elderly man who was cleaning the floor. He was wearing a similar outfit and even a similar hairstyle to Izuku, and she felt like she'd seen him somewhere before.

"Ah, Izuku! I trust the exams went well? And who's this?" The old man asked.

"The exams went great Master bang, and this is my new friend Uraraka. We took the exam together and went to lunch after." Izuku explained.

"I see. It's very nice to meet you miss Uraraka. My name is Bang, but you might know me better by my old hero name, Silver Fang." He said, introducing himself with a polite bow.

"Silver Fang?! I knew I had seen you somewhere before! Now wonder Midoriya is so strong!" She said excitedly.

"Oh? How much of his strength did you see?" Bang asked inquisitively.

"A robot the size of a skyscraper was about to squash me under its boot when Midoriya suddenly appeared above me and held the entire robot off, keeping it from hurting me. He even tipped it over!" She said, recalling the tale of her earlier rescue as she pumped her fists in the air for emphasis.

"My word! I warned you about overexerting yourself Izuku. At least this time it was for a good reason." Bang half heartedly grumbled. "Well have you come to train or hang out? Go get your gi on." Bang said, leaving him alone with his visitor.

"Midoriya said he was going to explain to me how he got so strong. It doesn't make sense for someone who is quirkless to have that much power." Ochako mentioned, feeling smaller under the elderly man's calm ire.

"He has been training with me since he was four years old. I have taught him two very powerful martial arts styles called the flowing water rock smashing fist and the iron whirlwind murderous fist. He has mastered both of them. His strength however, is purely a product of his own hard work and dedication. Certain individuals are capable of reaching astounding levels of strength, regardless of quirk. When I first met him, he was a small and frail boy who was bullied for being powerless, but I was able to see past that. He has the potential to grow so much stronger, even now. I'm uncertain as to where his true limits lie. Soon he'll be on the same level as my previous star pupil was before he left. Have you heard about the hero hunter Garou? Some time ago he defeated all of my students and began a murderous rampage against any and all heros, claiming several top rankers before he was finally defeated by All Might and I. I retired soon after that. He used my deadly fighting style to conduct evil, and I was hesitant to take up students once again, but I'm glad I did. I hadn't had a chance to influence and shape a young man since Garou, and this time I made sure to do it right. Midoriya is going to be a marvelous hero, and so will you. Your generation never ceases to amaze me."

At the conclusion of this speech, Ochako's eyes were wide with wonder. Primarily because she was meeting a retired top hero and having a conversation with him, and even though she wasn't a hero fanatic or anything like that, she could recognize that it was an incredible opportunity. Also, her new friend and potential boyfriend had trained under one of the most influential martial artists in the country. Soon after Bang's explanation, Izuku arrived wearing a white gi and a black belt. They then began training.

Watching the two of them was fascinating. They did some simple stretches and exercises before transitioning into complex and intimidating looking full body workouts. After about an hour of this, they began to spar. It was a rather one sided affair, but not hilariously so. Izuku's style and strength seemed irreproachable, but Bang's was better. Both of their movements and motions were well practiced and perfected, moving and exchanging strikes far quicker than her eyes could reasonably process, but Bang was sharper. Suddenly, the master ramped things up and began striking his pupil with even more ferocity than before, overwhelming the teenager in an exchange of blows, knocking him back.

From there, the song and dance only intensified between the two combatants. Ochako was mesmerized by their movements, each flowing motion, each strike, each parry, each dodge, and each response between the two was beautiful as eventually their movements became blue streaks in the air, their limbs blurred with motion. Each movement was fluid, precise, and calculated. There was no wasted motion present in either of the practitioners as they continued their duel. All good things must come to an end however, and once again Bang's onslought intensified once more, delivering a kick that sent Izuku skidding back, barely preventing himself from outright landing on his toosh.

"I think that's enough for today. It's getting late and you both should head home to rest." Bang explained. Ochako took this chance to look at her watch, holy crap it was already almost dinner time! "My parents must be worried sick!" She thought.

"Sorry I lost track of time Uraraka. Can I walk you to the train station?" He requested, looking at her bashfully.

"Of course! Let's head out whenever you're ready. Thank you for letting me hang out here Mr. Bang, I had a lot of fun watching you and Midoriya practice, it was super cool." She admitted, smiling brightly at the master martial artist.

"It's no problem young lady. Any friend of Izuku's is a friend of mine." Bang told her. Once Izuku had changed back into his earlier outfit, they left the dojo and made for the train station. The two took a picture together so they could gush later and exchanged contact info before going their separate ways.

As the train zipped past the surrounding city, Ochako's thoughts drifted to Izuku. That boy had entered her life so fast that it almost gave her whiplash. He had made such an impression so quickly, she would have a hard time NOT thinking about him any time soon. The sight of him holding up that massive robot so that it wouldn't hurt her was ingrained into her memory. Only after she was sufficiently deep in thought did she realize that her phone was ringing. Her mother was calling.

"Hey mom! I'm on the train now, don't worry." She informed her mother.

"That's good to hear, but where have you been?" Her mother asked, a scolding tone beginning to make itself present in her voice. Ochako then proceeded to launch into the tale of the day's events. She told her about the exam and how many points she got, especially the part about Izuku saving her. She told her mom about how that boy held up that huge robot all by himself, risking his life to help her. She told her about how they went to lunch afterwards, and about when she told him her reason for becoming a hero and how supportive he was. She excitedly recollected how this boy was the pupil of one of the most if not the most influential martial artists in the country. She even told her mom about watching them sparr and how fascinating it was, concluding the tale by forwarding her mother the photo they had taken together.

"I'm just glad you're alright. You'll have to thank that boy for us, though I'm sure you already did enough thanking on your own. And to think you went on a date with him too! Normally I would be worried but judging by who brought him up, I'm sure he was very good to you." Her mother said.

"He was! He paid for our lunch and never forced me to do anything I didn't want to! He was super nice to me and he even walked me to the train!" Ochako stated exuberantly.

"Sounds like a keeper." Her father said, entering the conversation abruptly.

"Have I been on speaker the entire time?" Ochako timidly asked. Had she been gushing over this boy in front of her father?

"Yes you have sweetie, but don't worry. I think I like him. He saved my daughter after all, so what's not to like? Those martial arts types are always pretty respectful anyway. I do wanna meet him though." He stated in a loving but firm tone.

"I'll try to set something up, but I'm sure he'll be busy. Maybe once school starts?" Ochako asked contemplatively.

"Sounds good honey, I'm gonna let you go for now. Hurry home!" Her father instructed her, ending the call.

Meanwhile, Izuku had arrived home and told his mother about his day, electing to exclude the more dangerous parts of the test where he could've been crushed to death if he had slipped up.

"You went on a date?! My baby is growing up so fast! Who is she? Do you have a photo? I want to meet her!" Inko gushed, embracing her son in a tight hug.

"Yeah mom, like I said we just went to lunch. We hung out at the dojo for a bit and after that I walked her to the train. It was really fun meeting her, I hope she gets in so we can spend more time together." Izuku stated before turning to his room and continuing to speak. "Well I'm beat, I'll talk to you tomorrow mom. Goodnight!" He wished her, retreating to his bedroom for some much needed rest.

The following morning Izuku rose to train, just as he always had. The week after the exam had been an awkward and strange one; even though he was sure he had passed, he still felt nervous. It was nerve wracking to just sit there and wait on the letter, the letter that would determine how he spent the rest of his life. Bang could sense his anxious energy and gave the young man plenty of things to do to help him get his mind off of it, but it was worthless. That entire week, Izuku and Ochako were on the edges of their respective seats, willing themselves to be accepted.

They exchanged the occasional text, but other then that they were far too preoccupied with stressing themselves out to set up a second date or even communicate with each other. Ochako was very unsure as to whether or not she did well enough. She had only managed to obtain just over forty points before the zero point robot came to ruin things for her. The days leading up to receiving their letter melded together for both of them, trudging along at a snail's pace, only working to increase their ever growing apprehension. Finally, the day came.

"Izuku! Izuku it came! The letter came! They sent a letter!" Inko shouted frantically, immediately ripping Izuku's attention away from whatever it was that he had been doing up until then.

"I'm coming mom!" Izuku hollered from the other side of the house. A flurry of rushed footsteps could be heard down the hallway as Izuku dashed into the kitchen to retrieve the letter from his mother. Upon receiving it, he then proceeded to dash headlong into his room and close the door. Inko was left to pace anxiously around the house, apprehensive as to whether or not her son had succeeded in making the first step of his lifelong dream.

Izuku managed to calm himself down with some breathing exercises that Bang had taught him. He had no idea they would be so useful for attaining emotional stability, something he desperately needed right now. Once he was at peace, he calmly and neatly opened the letter and retrieved the hologram package from its contents. He powered it on only to be greeted by the booming voice of All Might.

"Midoriya my boy! It looks like we'll be seeing more of each other! With sixty-three villain points and sixty additional rescue points, you made it in at the top of your class! You're going to be the freshman representative during the sport's festival my boy! Nice job! You may be quirkless but you still managed to put up quite a showing for the teaching staff moderating the exam. I look forward to instructing you further."

"Huh." Izuku thought aloud. "I guess All Might's teaching at U.A now. Cool."

Meanwhile, Ochako had received her own letter in a very similar fashion.

"Young Uraraka! Welcome to the Hero Academy, you made it! With an impressive score of forty-four villain points, you passed with flying colors! I look forward to instructing you next week, see you then!"

"Wow!" Ochako exclaimed. "I made it in! I really made it! This is the first step to accomplishing my dream. I wonder if Midoriya made it in?" She thought aloud. She then rushed out of her room to tell her parents about the good news. This was the first step, the first leg of their long and arduous journey to become real heroes, a journey that was about to begin.


	3. Down Time

**A/N: After reading Bartt's comment, it occurred to me that I have some explaining to do (Thank you for this discussion point. I was not offended at all, and I'm actually very glad that you brought this up). This story occurs in the MHA universe, so there is NO monsterization. This means that Garou was defeated by Bang, Bomb, and All Might, who I've subbed in for Genos at this point in the story, right after he faced the other A and B class heroes that were sent to hunt him down and bring him in. Due to his sorry state prior to and during this fight, he didn't stand a chance, and there was no Phoenix man or Elder Centipedeto save him. As always, any and all feedback is absolutely welcome, thank you guys for reading.**

Shortly after they received the wonderful news that they would be attending U.A. high school, Izuku and Ochako exchanged some texts to find out how the other did and if they were accepted as well.

"I made it in, did you?" Ochako texted.

"Yeah! Apparently I'm the freshman representative, what class are you in?" He responded.

"Woah! That's awesome! I'm in class 1-A, what about you?" She answered.

"I'm in class 1-A too! Looks like we'll be seeing more of each other!" He sent. Ochako was very excited to learn about this. The boy who had carved himself a piece of her life was now going to become a common fixture in it. Before she could celebrate any further, she received an additional text from Izuku.

"I'm gonna go to the dojo for the day, I'll text you later!" After he sent this, Izuku sighed to himself. Texting a girl was awesome. He wasn't all that jittery or skiddish anymore, but interacting with the opposite sex always proved to be quite an endeavor for the young man. He exited his house and strode at a leisurely pace towards his master's dojo, today was going to be a good day. He could finally tell the man who had shaped his entire life that he had succeeded in the first step of his mission, that he had begun his journey to become a hero. Izuku cherished how his master had always believed in him, how he always had from the moment that they met. Izuku was unsure if he could ever fully repay his master for what he had done for him. The only way he could think to do it was to fulfill and carry on Silver Fang's legacy as both a martial artist and a hero. His master had the ability to fight on equal terms with All Might himself when they were both in their primes, though of late All Might seemed to be weakening, and Silver Fang's prowess showed absolutely no signs of diminishing whatsoever.

Izuku continued his leisurely pace, only picking it up once he reached the stairs to the dojo. He began ascending them at an excited pace like he always did. Something about going to practice and train always managed to thrill him, to make his heart beat just a little faster.

Throughout the years, Bang had taught Izuku to hone his senses and to trust them. They had worked on his reflexes and his intuition in battle, sharpening them to a state that was far beyond average levels. They had to be if he was going to compete with individuals who were blessed with incredible powers. Over the past few generations, the average power of quirks had increased astronomically. Some individuals had power over the elements, manipulating and generating them at will. Others had power over the forces of nature, as his new friend Ochako did. In a world where he started off with a crippling disadvantage, Izuku was forced to hone himself in other ways. Traditionally, one might practice the strength and application of their quirk, but Izuku didn't have this privilege. He had to weaponize his mind, senses, and body in order to compete on the same level as his powerful peers. Over the years that he had trained, these facets of his combat ability evolved and grew to perfectly support what it was that he was doing. His senses had developed to the point where they would warn him when he was in tremendous danger, even before he had realized it himself.

To some extent, Izuku could read people. He didn't have the ability to know exactly what you were thinking or anything like that, but he could sense intent. Izuku could always see people coming, and this ability proved to be of great assistance when avoiding bodily harm at the hands of his youthful tormentor Katsuki. That guy always seemed to be furious about something, and whenever his ire was targeted at Izuku, he could tell and react appropriately. This usually meant walking away or telling him to bug off, but occasionally physical force was necessary. Izuku had no idea why that jerk was so fixated on him. He knew better than to consider him a friend, so long ago he stopped calling him "Kachan" and attempting to interact altogether. He didn't hate Katsuki, in fact he found a seldom few admirable qualities in the explosive young man, for instance his determination to improve and succeed. To the outside eye however, these beneficial factors were drowned out by his belligerence and overall foul nature.

Izuku arrived at the dojo, still deep in thought. He opened the doors to see his master doing some simple stretches in preparation for their session today. "You have news?" Bang asked.

"I do. I was accepted and will serve as the freshman representative with a score of one hundred and twenty-three points." Izuku said, a small hint of pride making itself comfortable in his voice.

"Well done, I told you that you would do well." Bang responded simply. "You have grown to be quite an excellent young man, I am very proud of you. You have allowed me to redeem myself through training and developing you into an incredible hero. I still feel shame and sadness when I think of Garou and all of the atrocities that he committed with my art, but seeing you continue to grow into a fine young man eases the pain tremendously. And for that I simply wish to say, thank you." Bang said. Midoriya was moved to tears by his master's admission. His teacher had taught him to be more in control of his emotions, but right now his tears were justifiable.

"Thank you, Master Bang. You have done so much for me, I don't know how I can ever begin to repay you. You've . . you've changed my entire life for the better." Izuku said, weeping happily.

"Come then young man, that's enough sentiment for the day." Bang said as he chuckled at his disciple. "We still have training to do. You may have made it into U.A. but that doesn't mean you're done improving. Go change into your gi and take your stance young man." Bang instructed him. Izuku dutifully responded, changing into his gi and returning to his master within a couple of minutes. They then took their respective stances and awaited the other to make the first move. Bang's stance was a simple but effective one. Both of his hands were in front of him, arms extended out towards his opponent, his left palm facing his target and his right at an angle about a foot behind it. Izuku adopted a similar stance to his master, preferring his fighting style to the others available to him. Both of the practitioners had lowered themselves, spreading their legs wide to the point where their thighs were parallel to the floor as they held themselves in the stand off.

Izuku finally decided to make the first move, surging towards his master and initiating a flurry of flowing blows. Bang responded in kind, and from there the master and student exchanged strikes, Izuku never managing to land a clean hit on his teacher. Each time he was close to what could have been an opportunity to land a definitive strike, Bang pushed his attack aside and landed one on him instead. Izuku noted how Bang's movements were more intense and graceful than his were, even though they were practitioners of the same style. Izuku did his best to emulate his master's movements as they continued their furious flurry of attacks. He found it difficult to not become overwhelmed when Bang increased the pace of his onslaught, but he was determined to keep it up this time. He had practiced for years on his own, he could do this. He would prove to his master that he had learned a thing or two. Finally finding his opportunity, Izuku unleashed a powerful kick from his right leg, targeted at his master's previously unguarded face. Little did he know that Bang read this movement and responded in kind, twisting his body to the side to dodge and releasing a backwards roundhouse kick into his disciple's chest, sending him into the opposite wall.

Not willing to be defeated so easily, Izuku quickly recovered from his master's attack and prepared himself for his onslaught once again. Bang closed the distance between the two within a second, surprising his student slightly with his agility. Izuku took note again that Bang's technique and style was far more forceful than his was, his movements were more certain. Once again Izuku sought to emulate his master's technique.

Izuku then realized what it was that he was doing wrong. He was overthinking things, like he always had. His over analytical mind was processing things as quickly as it could, but it was holding him back. The way Bang moved was out of reflex, instinct, and sequences of practiced motions. This was something that simply was a product of years of practice, but Izuku was going to try anyway.

The master and student clashed once again, their movements becoming faster and faster as they continued to intensify their sparring session. Long and elegant streaks of blue could be seen from both participants representing their limb's motions, and for what felt like several moments the battle was at a standstill, each side struggling to gain the upper hand and land a definitive strike on their opponent.

Bang was having the time of his life. His student, the boy who he had devoted himself to developing, was providing an exhilarating match for him. Izuku had improved so much over the years, and he had reached a point where Bang decided to do him the honors of fighting seriously. The change in pace was very noticeable as bang began striking his student with intense ferocity, driving Izuku back as the young man struggled to stay upright and defend himself against his master's assault. Izuku's attacks were brushed aside with painted strokes as his teacher overwhelmed him, striking his student numerous times all throughout his body before sending him sprawling backwards with a powerful kick, cracking the dojo's far wall as Izuku crashed into it.

Once again, Izuku recovered, refusing to accept defeat. That last exchange nearly knocked him out, and it took all of his willpower to remain standing. His body was quite heavily bruised, but he took a firm and resolute stance against his opponent regardless. Bang considered stopping the match then and there, but this was a perfect opportunity for his student to evolve and grow stronger, so he continued. Rushing his pupil once again, he unleashed another assortment of rapid strikes using the same intensity he had previously, but this time his student was ready. Izuku was adapting and evolving mid fight, growing stronger right before his master's eyes.

"Young man! You really are incredible!" Bang shouted through his onslaught, causing his student to grin wildly. This was the first time in a long while where Bang was fighting seriously, pouring himself into his technique as he continued his assault. Izuku wasn't holding anything in reserve either, but the difference between master and student was still like night and day. Izuku would continue to improve, but he was far from surpassing his teacher. Despite this, he was holding his ground, refusing to be knocked down until it was absolutely impossible to keep going. This conclusion however, came all too quickly. Izuku saw what he thought was an opportunity when Bang moved to strike the pressure points on his neck and thus incapacitate him, so he caught his master's wrists and moved to knee him in the face, just as he had done against Katsuki. This decision backfired when his master responded with his own knee, pushing his student back and bloodying his pupil's face in the process.

"You have improved greatly, but you are far from besting your master at his own craft." Bang said smugly, smiling at his disciple who was now standing upright, easily ignoring the pain of his bloodied nose as he bowed to his teacher. He really had come a very long way since his early days learning under Bang, and he had taken his instructions to heart.

"Yes sensei." Izuku responded, filled with fiery determination. He was once again one step closer to achieving his dream. They continued their session, participating in intense workouts, stretches, and working to refine Izuku's technique and strategy. It was these moments that Izuku enjoyed the most, simply training and improving himself alongside the man who had shaped his entire life.

By the time it was midday, the training session had finally ended and Izuku was on his way back to his house. "What else am I gonna do today?" Izuku pondered aloud as he strode down the sidewalk at a relaxed pace. He still had a few days remaining before the first day of school, and he wanted to do something with his time besides training. Maybe he could text Ochako? They DID go on a date the other day, maybe he could take her on a second one? Izuku wasn't exactly fond of the idea of asking her out through a text of all things, but it was the only option he had. Izuku pulled out his phone and opened up his contacts so that he could message Ochako.

"Hey, I'm all finished with training, what are you up to?" He asked.

"Not much really, just hanging around the house until school starts. I'm gonna move to a new apartment that's closer to the school tomorrow. I've finished packing and I'm kind of excited and scared at the same time." Ochako replied a few moments later. Izuku had arrived at his house by the time he was able to read her message.

"That's cool. Do you need any help with the move? I could head up there if you do." Izuku messaged.

"I don't know. You're like two hours away and that's by bullet train." Ochako replied, her contemplative tone being expressed through her words.

"It's no problem, I have nothing better to do." Izuku responded truthfully. Besides training, his days were pretty empty now that school was out. He didn't really have that many close friends. It wasn't that he was antisocial or even introverted for that matter, he just hadn't had the time. Between the downright suicidal training regimen that Bang kept him to and the schoolwork and studying, Izuku didn't have much time left in the day to socialize with his peers.

"Are you sure? It's a little bit of a trek." Ochako asked, unsure herself of whether it was worth it or not. She was very keen on the idea of seeing Izuku again though, and maybe she could even introduce him to her parents earlier than expected.

"Yeah it's no big deal. Maybe we could even go on another date." Izuku asked with an almost mischievous smile adorning his face. This was incredibly forward, even for him. Bang had really taken him under his wing when it came to being a male role model. Izuku didn't really have a father. Well he did, but he never saw him, so the man might as well have not existed at all to Izuku. In turn, anything his own father would have taught and done for Izuku, Bang did in his stead. This included interacting with the opposite sex and in general upholding a respectable demeanor and attitude. Neither of the two were ladies men by any means, but Izuku had learned to be direct when he wanted something.

Seeing Izuku's message, Ochako squeaked and almost dropped her phone. She had thought about going on another date with Izuku, and the prospect even excited her, but she had no idea it would be this soon. Not that she was complaining.

"Sounds like fun. Can you be here by like nine tomorrow?" Ochako asked, sending Izuku a link to her address so that Izuku could follow online directions to find his way there.

"Sure thing!" Izuku happily responded.

Izuku scratched his chin in thought. If he wanted to be in Kansai before nine in the morning, then he would have to be on the train well before seven. It wouldn't impact his sleep schedule since Izuku was habitually an early riser, but he would have to skip out on his training session with Bang tomorrow if he wanted to go see Ochako. He'd have to give his master a call. He dialed Bang's number, knowing full well that the old man was still in the dojo. It rang several times before finally being answered.

"Izuku, did you forget something here?" Bang inquired. Izuku could tell that his master was raising an eyebrow at him, even through the phone.

"No, I just called to tell you I won't be able to train with you tomorrow." Izuku responded, a smirk making itself present on his face as he thought about his plans with Ochako.

"Oh? Are you off chasing girls again Izuku?" Bang asked teasingly. He knew Izuku wasn't the type to do that, but it was hilarious when Izuku got flustered.

"Yes and no. Remember Uraraka from the other day? She got accepted too and she needs help moving closer to the school, so I figured I'd lend her a hand." Izuku informed, his smile only intensifying as his plans with the girl were directly mentioned.

"I see." Bang responded. "Have fun then, I'll see you the day after that."

"Will do. Thank you master Bang." Izuku said, ending the call. He then informed his mother about his plans for the following day, receiving happy tears in response. Inko was thrilled at the prospect of her son going on _another_ date with that cute girl he mentioned. They ate dinner and Izuku promptly turned in from the night. Even in his current state, Bang's lessons never failed to tire him out.

Morning came soon enough, Izuku's alarm signifying the start of a new day as the boy practically sprung out of his bed. He walked in high spirits directly towards the bathroom, grabbing a quick shower before starting his day. As he washed himself, he thought again of the day ahead. He would be helping her move, but he also was planning on taking her out on a date, so maybe he should dress up a little? The martial artist outfit he always wore suited him though. Besides, wherever they went, it wouldn't be anywhere fancy enough to where he couldn't dress as he pleased.

Izuku left the shower and dressed as he had initially planned, donning his white gi pants and his black shirt and shoes before heading towards the kitchen for some breakfast and then leaving the house. Izuku walked excitedly towards the train station, reminding himself that he would have to take a different train if he wanted to get to the Kansai region in a timely manner.

He boarded the train and took a window seat for himself, watching the landscape zip by as the train moved at incredible speeds. It really was impressive how far technology had come; a trip across the country would only take about two hours of his time. As his surroundings continued to fly past him, he pondered what it was that he lacked. Was it experience? Power? Discipline? Technique? He wanted more than anything to improve himself in any way he could. The thought that there were enemies out there that were far more powerful than him both haunted Izuku and motivated him. What if he faced these opponents one day, and the world needed him to be strong enough, but he wasn't? How many lives would be lost to his negligence and weakness? Izuku promptly banished these traitorous thoughts. They were far too dark and complex for him to ponder right now, today was going to be a great day after all. Besides, there were other heroes out there, capable men and women who worked as forces of good will and compassion throughout the world. To think that such a weight should rest on his shoulders alone was impractical.

Izuku was still lost in thought when the train finally reached its destination, its gradual but sudden halt summoning Izuku away from his inner turmoil. He rose from his seat and made for the door. Izuku strode through the streets amiably, excited to see Ochako again and happy that he was going to be helping out a friend. He continued to follow the directions on his phone until he arrived in front of an almost run down looking apartment complex. It wasn't at all what he had expected, but Izuku wasn't going to judge. He climbed the stairs until he reached the floor Ochako was on and quickly found the apartment number after that. He knocked twice and stepped back, waiting patiently. He didn't have to wait long before a large man opened the door and looked at him inquisitively. This man resembled Ochako, but he thought he had gotten the wrong apartment until the bubbly brunette bounced forward and embraced him in a hug. This caused the man who Izuku could only assume to be her father to release an amused chuckle at his daughter's antics.

"Hi." Izuku mirthfully said, returning the embrace. "Excited to see me, are we?" He slyly asked, raising an amused eyebrow at his friend. In turn, Ochako turned beet red and scrambled away from him. Izuku would have to get himself out of the habit of pushing her buttons, but it was too fun to give up anytime soon. He then turned to her father and bowed politely, introducing himself in the process.

"Hello, my name is Izuku Midoriya. It's a pleasure to meet you sir. I'm here to help your daughter move."

"Oh so you're the boy my daughter won't stop talking about. It's nice to meet ya kid. I really appreciate what you did for my Ochako during the exam, and also what you're doin' now helpin' her out with the move." The large man stated. This caused Ochako to visibly pout, embarrassment clear on her face as she lightly glared at her father for doing that to her in front of her new friend. Speaking of Izuku, he was wearing that same outfit he always did, perhaps it was his favorite? Either way, she wasn't going to complain. He looked good in it due to how the shirt he wore did absolutely nothing to hide his physique. She shuddered at the thought of other hormonal teenage girls besides herself seeing him in such attire. She would have to pack a stick to beat them off with.

"It's my pleasure. And she's been talking about me, has she? All good I hope?" Izuku responded, shooting Ochako a warm smile that only worked to intensify her blush.

"Yup, though I'd like to form my own opinion myself." Mr. Uraraka stated. "Why don't you come in, we've got a lot of work to do."

"Sure thing." Izuku responded. The next several hours until lunch consisted of transferring furniture and Ochako's personal belongings into a moving van that her father would drive to her apartment. While he and her father were transferring a rather bulky dresser into the car, the father decided to strike up a conversation.

"So I hear you took my baby girl out on a date." Mr. Uraraka said. His tone wasn't menacing, that of an overprotective father who was ready to beat up his daughter's boyfriend, but rather a cautious one.

"Yeah, it was great. I took her out to lunch after the exam was over. We went to Bang's dojo after that." Izuku answered, a dreamy smile on his face as he recollected the events of their first date. Mr. Uraraka smiled approvingly at the young man, he could already tell that this kid had nothing but good intentions with his daughter.

"I almost forgot you're training under Silver Fang. What's it like?" He inquired.

"It's incredible. He's such an amazing teacher and hero, he's like a father to me." Izuku responded proudly.

"Wow, that's about as good a role model as anyone could ask for. I remember the type of hero that that man was. What he stood for. I see that I have nothing to worry about with you and my daughter." Mr. Uraraka said, placing an approving and proud hand on Izuku's shoulder after they placed the dresser in the moving van, causing the young man to return his smile.

"Of course, thank you for your approval. I will do my best to live upto your expectations." Izuku proclaimed, excitement sparkling in his eyes. Naturally, Ochako had witnessed this entire exchange from the window, and was now squealing silently. She heard an amused chortle behind her and turned quickly to see her mother standing with one hand on her hip and one covering her mouth. The woman recovered and gave her daughter a knowing look.

"You really got it bad, don't ya?" She asked coyly.

"Maybe . . " Ochako answered in a hushed and embarrassed tone.

"Nothin wrong with that sweetie. He seems like a real good guy. Plus, we'll have somebody to look out for you when we can't." Her mother told her lovingly.

"I'm not a little girl anymore, you know that right?" Ochako asked, grinning at her mother's affection.

"I know honey, but it never hurts to have help. Even when you don't need it." She said. The privacy of their conversation was abruptly compromised as Izuku and Mr. Uraraka came through the door, both of them laughing at something Izuku had said. Her father noticed that everyone was present and decided to speak up.

"Alright, I think that that's everything. I'll go up and do a final check, so why don't you kids grab somethin' to eat and then catch the bullet train back." Mr. Uraraka recommended.

Mrs. Uraraka had prepared some rice, fish, and assorted vegetables for lunch, and the group happily dug in once Mr. Uraraka returned from his final check. During the meal, Mrs. Uraraka struck up a conversation.

"So Midoriya, any big plans between now and when school starts?" She asked.

"Not really. All I've really done for the past few years is study and train, so I guess that's what I'll keep doing." He responded.

"Really now? What sort of training do you do?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow at the boy's dull schedule, a boring existence even by her standards.

"I practice martial arts, sharpen my body, and spar with my master. That's what I do most days." Izuku said.

"You spar with Silver Fang? That's impressive." She complimented, causing the young man to blush slightly at her praise, a faint pink hue that disappeared as quickly as it came.

"It's not a very even match up, though in our last session he took me seriously. I don't think I need to tell you how badly I lost." Izuku jokingly lamented, huffing half heartedly at the memory of the beat down his master delivered to him the day prior.

"And you're still in one piece? Sheesh." Mr. Uraraka responded, joining the conversation for the first time.

"Somehow, yeah. He must have struck me about thirty times before I even knew what happened, kicking me into the opposite wall. That's more impressive than it sounds, it's a big dojo." Izuku recollected.

"I'm sure." Mr. Uraraka responded, trailing off contemplatively. "Say, what's your quirk? Ochako never mentioned it to us when she talked about you." This caused said girl to flush and elbow her father in the side. Surely his quirk must be some sort of super strength or body enhancement type, right?

"I'm quirkless." Izuku stated simply. "Bang is too. The martial arts style is just that powerful I guess."

"Wow." Was all either of the Urarakas could say in response, completely caught off guard by how powerful these two quirkless individuals were. It just defied logic. "Then how are you two so powerful?"

"Quirkless people have more forgiving physical limits than others do, or at least that's what Bang told me. It's making sense so far, I don't feel like I'm close to being as strong as I can get, so I'm gonna keep going until I get there. The stronger I am, the more people I can save." Izuku exclaimed resolutely. Mr. Uraraka stood up from his seat and offered the young man before him a hand.

"Well then. That was quite enlightening. Don't want you two to miss your train though, so take care of yourselves, ya hear?" He instructed rather than asked them, receiving a firm nod from both teenagers. The duo left the house and were descending the stairs when izuku spoke up.

"I think they took that pretty well, what do you think?" He inquired, still amused by her parents shocked expressions.

"They're understanding people." She told him, smiling warmly at the thought of her parents, though she was sad that she wouldn't be able to see them as much as she used to after this move.

"They are, I like them." Izuku stated, returning her warm smile. This emboldened Ochako to take his hand, an action that left Izuku in a pleasantly surprised state, blushing lightly at her initiative. He responded by coiling his fingers tightly around hers, smiling even brighter than before.

They arrived at the station and boarded the train, keeping their hands intertwined the entire time, causing them to receive some amused glances from other passengers. They chatted amiably about various topics, school, the uniforms, how excited they were to learn to be heroes, and even their minor hobbies. Ochako learned that Izuku was a bit of a closet hero fanatic. The knowledge that he was secretly a big dork underneath that steel exterior of his made her like him even more. Izuku learned about how her favorite hero was the rescue hero Thirteen, segueing into a lengthy discussion about all the cool things he had done and the people he had saved during his hero work. The more they talked, the more obvious it was to them how well they got along together, something that only worked to enhance their respective affections for each other.

Before they knew it, they arrived at the station closest to Izuku's house, Izuku offering to walk her to her apartment, an offer that she gladly accepted. As it turns out, Ochako's apartment wasn't at all that far from Izuku's, so they could walk home together on a regular basis after school. They continued to chat until they arrived at the establishment. Izuku even went as far as to accompany her right to the doorway, something that amused the brunette to no end.

"I'm sorry to say, but I'm beat. I'll have plenty of unpacking to do today, so our second date will have to wait. Hopefully this can tide you over though." Ochako said with a flourish in her voice, which confused Izuku until he felt her press a kiss to his cheek, causing him to blush and even stammer for a brief moment.

"I'll see you at school." She said as she skipped into her apartment, closing the door behind her before Izuku could return the favor. That was the first time she had seen him get legitimately flustered. She would have to see more of that, perhaps as payback for all the times he had teased her, or maybe just because she liked it.

Meanwhile, Izuku was striding down the stairs of the apartment complex, still rubbing his cheek. "She really caught me off guard there, oh well. Can't be helped. Man, I can't wait for school." Izuku said, reaching the bottom floor of the apartment and beginning his journey home.


	4. First Day

**A/N: Since Izuku is pretty strong in this fic, I increased the strength of all of the students in class 1-A to compensate and keep the story interesting. Sorry that this took so long to make, I had finals to worry about. Enjoy!**

The days leading up until the start of the fall semester at U.A. were filled with giddy excitement for both Izuku and Ochako. The two of them communicated happily between each other, growing more and more comfortable in their unannounced relationship as the days passed them by.

The day before the fall term was to begin, Izuku and Ochako were spending time together in her apartment. Izuku had returned the day after the move to help her move things around her small home, arranging them to her liking, a process that took far longer than it needed to due to her indecisiveness. Izuku didn't mind though, with his strength and stamina it was difficult to tire him out unless you were Bang, so moving around relatively heavy furniture was no problem at all for the young man. This brought them to their current setting, enjoying the afternoon together as they awaited the arrival of the following day. The anticipation was palpable in the air as they chatted with each other, an activity that they never failed to lose time to.

"What do you think tomorrow is gonna be like?" Ochako asked, knowing full well by now that Izuku was a hero fanatic. If anyone had any outsider insight into the inner machinations of the prestigious U.A. high school, it was him.

"I expect it to be eventful. Our homeroom teacher is Aizawa, also known as Eraserhead. There's no telling what he has in store for us. We should be on our best behavior, he has quite a reputation of expelling students." Izuku recollected, a grim expression forming on his face.

"Geez, really? Why'd we have to end up with that guy then?" Ochako asked, a shudder running its way down her spine at the thought of being expelled before she could even make any headway towards her dream. She had come so far, sacrificed so much and invested a whole lot . . too much to fail now. Far too much.

"Well studying under him also has its perks. If he's a strict teacher, he'll whip us into shape in no time at all, and he'll be very clear on his expectations for us going forward in the school year." Izuku told her, trying his best to comfort the girl that he had made nervous.

"It doesn't sound so bad when you put it that way. No matter what I'm still super excited about tomorrow." Ochako said in a far more cheerful tone in comparison to the dejected one she had used previously.

"Me too! This is the first big step, and we're gonna do great. We made it in for a reason, we were accepted because we have the potential to become great heroes, and we're gonna do just that. Plus Ultra!" Izuku shouted while raising his fist into the air, an action that caused Ochako to giggle.

"What's so funny?" Izuku asked, quirking an inquisitive eyebrow at his companion's mirth.

"You're just so cute when you act all silly like that." Ochako managed through her laughter, much to Izuku's amusement.

"So I'm cute am I? Well I've got news for you then. You're cuter." Izuku told her with a devilish smile on his face while he pointed at the girl.

Ochako's cheeks visibly darkened, her permanently rosy cheeks becoming even more red in response to his compliment. "Let's agree to disagree." She responded after a brief moment of preparing herself.

Izuku smiled at his friend. A friend that in such a short time he had already become unimaginably close to, a friend he had already been on a date with and had already kissed him . . .

"Hey Uraraka." Izuku asked, deciding to directly address his thoughts. His tone had slightly changed, not in a very noticeable way but Ochako still managed to pick up on it.

"What?" She responded, hoping that he wasn't upset for some reason about her teasing earlier.

"Are we a couple now? I mean we hang out all the time and we've gone on a date. We're even working on planning a second one." He asked as calmly as he could. He may have been maintaining a steely facade in the face of their relationship, but addressing it directly like this still made him slightly jittery.

Ochako blushed at his question, almost floating off but somehow keeping herself under control. She seriously thought about his question for a moment, weighing her options. "Do you want to be?" She inquired in response, hoping more than anything that he felt the same way that she decided she did.

"I do, really badly. I've never had a relationship like this before and I really like it. I want it to stay and grow." Izuku told her in an excited and almost passionate tone.

"Well I feel the same way. Guess that makes us a couple then, doesn't it?" Ochako asked, smiling brightly at her new boyfriend.

"I guess we are then." Izuku responded happily. While he was smiling, Ochako surprised him with a hug. Izuku held his arms in the air for a second before returning his embrace.

"You know . . " Izuku said, trailing off as he allowed himself to melt into her hug. "We never officially planned our second date, any input on that?"

"Maybe next weekend after the first week of school? I'm sure we'll need to unwind after they put us through the ringer like you say they're going to." Ochako responded, pulling away from the hug and placing a finger on her chin as she pondered the various possible days they could go out on a date together.

"How about Saturday?" Izuku asked, receiving an affirmative and enthusiastic nod from his girlfriend in response.

"Sounds good to me. It's getting late though, so you should probably head home. Unless you want to stay the night that is?" Ochako teased. This again caused Izuku to temporarily flush before quickly regaining his composure. Although his reactions were only present for a brief moment, Ochako was still oddly satisfied by getting them out of him.

Izuku released a comically forced laugh in response, still inwardly flustered at her cheeky suggestion. He knew she was joking of course, but it still caught him completely off guard. "You're right, it is getting late. I'll see you tomorrow Uraraka." Izuku said. He had considered trying out her first name then, but that was too intimate for him right now.

"Bye Midoriya. I'll see you tomorrow!" She said excitedly. After spending the majority of the day talking about what their first day would be like, she was incredibly excited for it to arrive. Izuku was excited as well, and it certainly showed. Just as when he was a child, he always wore his heart on his sleeve. It was easy to tell how he felt or if he was struggling with something, even despite all of the training he received from bang to be in control of his emotions. It helped to reign in his overly active tear ducts, but otherwise it went unnoticed.

Izuku left Ochako's apartment, closing the door behind him as he entered the hallway area of the complex. He allowed himself to get lost in thought as he walked down the hall towards the stairs at a leisurely pace. It was getting dark but it wasn't that dark yet, and his house was only about a five minute stroll away.

He finally exited the apartment complex, still maintaining his relaxed pace as he strode down the now artificially lighten streets. The walk back to his house was a quiet one, for some reason the streets were practically empty. Before long, Izuku arrived at his own apartment complex and began climbing the stairs to where his home was. He did a mental check to make sure he was ready for tomorrow. In his excitement and anticipation, he had already packed everything that he needed for the following day. His uniform was laid out and folded on his desk, his backpack already contained all of his notebooks, books, and necessary supplies for school, and of course his hero analysis journals. Izuku wondered what types of cool quirks his classmates would have, and what strategies he would concoct to combat them.

Soon enough, he was in front of his apartment door. He turned his key in the lock and opened it to see his mother cooking away in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the both of them. If the smell was anything to go by, then it was almost done.

"Hey mom, I'm back from Uraraka's." Izuku greeted. Inko had almost gotten over her excitement at her son being close friends with a girl, and telling her the news that they were now a couple would only add fuel to the fire, but it had to be done.

"Welcome back sweetie. Did you have fun?" She asked with a knowing smile decorating her face.

"I did. We hung out and talked about tomorrow, we even planned a second date. We're officially a couple now!" Izuku said, unable to hide his excitement about his new girlfriend from his mother. The young man turned to see his mother crying tears of joy. He may have been able to reign in his emotions, but she certainly hadn't been able to.

"My baby boy has a girlfriend! You're growing up so fast Izuku!" Inko almost shouted through her tears as she rushed towards her son to give him one of the biggest hugs he had ever experienced.

"Yeah, I do mom. I really like her too. We're even in the same class!" Izuku said excitedly. Not only did he now have a girlfriend, but he would also be able to see her on a regular basis while he was in school. This situation couldn't possibly get any better.

"That's good to hear Izuku." Inko said, finally managing to dry her tears of joy and compose herself. "Dinner is almost ready, so why don't you go wash up."

"Sure thing mom." Izuku responded, beginning to walk down the hallway towards the bathroom. He washed up and returned to find that his mother had set the table and filled two bowls with generous servings of katsudon.

Seeing Izuku's visible excitement at seeing his favorite meal, Inko decided to elaborate. "I figured that the last day of summer before you go to U.A. is worth celebrating, so I made your favorite." She said, a still teary smile present on her features.

"Thanks mom!" Izuku replied happily, saying his thanks with his mother before digging into his supper. The day hanging out with Ochako had already been great, but this was just the icing on the cake for him. He felt like he was ready for whatever tomorrow and Eraserhead could throw at him.

He finished his meal and decided to turn in early. It was only about nine in the evening, but Izuku felt that he had waited for tomorrow to come for long enough. He fell asleep soon after his body made contact with the bed, and he dreamt of working alongside All Might and saving people, being a hero that could save everyone with an inspiring smile on his face.

Izuku awoke the next morning to the sound of his alarm blaring off by his bedside. Today was the day! He would go to school and learn from All Might and all the rest of the pro staff about how to be a hero. His lifelong dream was now more achievable than ever.

Izuku leapt out of bed and excitedly dressed in his uniform after eating breakfast and taking a quick shower, preparing himself for the day ahead. He did one last check to make sure he had everything before he left. Right before he was about to step out the door, his mom caught him.

"Do you have everything Izuku?" She asked, obviously fretting over her son.

"Yes I do mom, even the tissues. Uraraka's waiting on me, I've gotta go! I'll see you after school!" Izuku said as he passed through the doorway and practically ran towards the stairs in excitement. Once he made it to the ground floor and exited the complex, he could hear his mom calling out to him.

"Bye sweetie! Have a good day!" She yelled, hoping her voice would reach him while knowing full well that it would. Izuku groaned in loving embarrassment at her antics. Ochako was waiting on him by the street and was giggling at the correspondence between the mother-son pair.

"Go ahead, laugh it up." Izuku told her in mock irritation, wearing a smile that betrayed the meaning of his words. This only made her laugh harder. They slowly made their way towards the train station that would lead them the correct stop, sitting on a nearby bench while they awaited the train's arrival.

"What do you think our classmates are gonna be like?" Ochako asked.

"I'm not too sure. No doubt Bakugou will be there though." Izuku stated, a modicum of annoyance in his voice towards the subject of his explosive rival.

"Who's Bakugou?" Ochako inquired, curious as to who could possibly get under Izuku's skin. From everything she'd seen of him, Izuku seemed to be a pretty tolerant and upbeat person.

"We're rivals. We've known each other since we were kids, and he was actually a pretty cool guy up until he manifested his quirk. His power is called explosion, and once he got it he became arrogant and prideful. He started bullying me once he found out that I was quirkless, which was around the point where I started training under Bang. Ever since then, we've barely been on speaking terms with each other. I hate his guts, but he has some real potential as a hero. He even has some good qualities to him believe it or not. He has about as much tenacity as I do, if not more. He wants to be a hero more than anything, just for the wrong reasons. He wants everyone to look up to him, he wants to be in the spotlight as the number one hero, to surpass All Might."

"He bullied you? Seems like a rotten guy if you ask me." Ochako said while crossing her arms and furrowing her brow.

"Believe me, he is. But one of these days he's gonna turn around, or at least mellow out a little. He just has to grow up. Deep down he's not so bad." Izuku said in a hopeful tone. At this point their train had arrived and they boarded it, continuing to converse about numerous things as they sped towards U.A.

Before long, their stop came. The train slowed to a halt and the couple stepped out into the street, weaving their way through the throng of busy commuters that were making their way towards either work or school. They walked together along the sidewalk towards U.A., continuing until the massive gates of the school came into view.

"Wow." Izuku stated, his voice filled with wonder and his mouth agape. "I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing this."

"Me neither." Ochako stated, being in a similar state to Izuku. They passed through the gates and made their way towards the main building where classes were held. The interior of the school was just as impressive as the exterior. The hallways, doors, and what they could see of the classrooms were all in pristine condition. The floor almost shined as they walked on it, they would be able to catch their reflection if they looked down. After some searching, they finally found the door to their classroom.

"Wow, this door is massive!" Izuku observed, his height being dwarfed by the large opening. It had a similar effect on Ochako, who was slightly shorter than him, but she neglected to mention anything. Izuku opened the door to a scene that made him sigh exasperatedly. He could already tell that this was going to be quite a year.

"I demand that you get your feet off of the desk! It is insulting to the upperclassmen who used them before us. You should have more manners!" Iida shouted at Katsuki, waving his arms up and down in an intense robotic fashion.

"Oi, don't tell me what to do ya fuckin extra!" Katsuki shouted in response. "What middle school are you from anyway?" Katsuki asked, seething with anger.

"I'm from Soumei Junior High School. My name is Tenya Iida."

"Soumei? Well aren't you a fucking elite?! I guess I have a good excuse to kill you after all!" Katsuki bellowed.

"What the -? And you want to be a hero?" Tenya responded indignantly.

"If you keep acting so much like a villain Bakugou, people might just start treating you like one." Izuku interjected. Katsuki scoffed angrily and turned his head to the side, a furious scowl adorning his face. Seeing Izuku brought back some bad memories.

" _So two of my students are going to be attending U.A?! That's incredible! And you both made it into the hero course no less. You even scored high enough to become the freshmen representative Midoriya. I guess you are going to be the first quirkless hero after all." Their principal stated fondly, patting Izuku on the shoulder before continuing. "And your score was tremendous as well Bakugou! To think that two of our top students will be attending such an incredible school, you guys have made us proud!"_

 _Izuku smiled kindly at the principal's encouraging words while Katsuki grinned pridefully. This expression changed however, as soon as they left the school grounds. His face grew into a contorted and furious scowl._

" _How the hell did you get freshman representative?" Katsuki screamed._

" _I destroyed robots and saved somebody. To be honest, you would've gotten it if it just came down to villain points since you've got a pretty incredible quirk." Izuku calmly responded. After he said this, he sensed something akin to killing intent as Katsuki rushed to take him by the collar of his shirt and press him against the wall. Izuku skillfully dodged this attack by swiftly sidestepping the explosive teen._

" _You know what? I've had enough. You always say how badly you want to be a hero, how you're going to be the best, but do you see many heroes who act like you do? Like a bully? I don't. Look at you, snapping out at me like some out of control rabid animal just because I got a higher score than you. Get a hold of yourself Bakugou. You have so much going for you, it'd be a shame if you wasted it with that shitty attitude of yours." Izuku scolded, turning heel and walking away._

The memory alone infuriated Katsuki. "Who did that fucking Deku think he was, telling me off like that. He should know his place, and he'll be taught it soon enough." He thought.

Meanwhile, Izuku was being approached by Iida, who was equally happy to see both him and Ochako.

"Ah, it's you two! My name is Tenya Iida, and it's a pleasure to see you again." He stated, offering a hand to Ochako and then to Izuku in greeting.

"It's nice to see you again as well Iida. I'm glad to see that you made it in." Izuku stated warmly.

"Thank you. I must admit however, you seemed to have understood some aspect of the exam that I had missed. You saw that there was another way for us to be scored." Tenya stated in an almost dejected tone.

"I wouldn't go that far. I just saw that Uraraka was in trouble and jumped in to help her. It was just the right thing to do." Izuku responded, looking fondly at Ochako. They continued their introductions until they were cut off by the bored and monotonous voice of a man who looked like he hadn't slept in several days.

"If you're here to hunt for friends then you should just leave. I am Aizawa Shouta, your homeroom teacher. Welcome to the hero course." Shouta said, taking out some sort of juice pouch and draining it in one go before continuing, climbing out of his sleeping bag as he did. "It took you eight seconds to quiet down, so you seem to lack some common we'll be having the quirk assessment test. Put on your P.E. uniforms and meet at the P.E. grounds." He said, removing a red, white, and blue uniform from his yellow sleeping bag and displaying it to the class.

"So this is Eraserhead?" Izuku thought to himself, taking a uniform and wordlessly filing off towards the lockerroom to change. After several minutes, the class of twenty congregated by the P.E. grounds, murmuring to each other about their homeroom teacher and why they would be having such an assessment on the first day of classes. Shouta appeared and Ochako decided to ask a question.

"Sir, aren't we supposed to have the opening ceremony and guidance counselor meetings today?"

"If you want to be a hero, you won't have the time for such niceties. Us teachers have freedom on campus, so I can do whatever I see fit with you lot." He said, pausing to size the class up. "Today we'll be having a quirk assessment test to see what you kids can do. We'll do a softball pitch, a standing long jump, a fifty meter dash, an endurance running session, a grip strength test, sustained sideways jumping, upper body exercises, and a seated toe touch. These are the standard assessments that you take during middle school, but due to regulations, you can't use your quirk for them. The country hasn't developed effective standards and regulations when it comes to quirks and their usage during these exams to track average performance, but thats their own fault." He said, turning towards Izuku as he concluded his speech.

"Midoriya, what was your softball pitch during middle school?" He asked.

"Five hundred and forty-three meters." Izuku responded, never changing his facial expression.

"Without your quirk?" Aizawa asked in mild surprise.

"I don't have one." Izuku explained.

"You can't have that much power without a quirk kid. It just doesn't work that way." Shouta said, sizing Izuku up for a second time. Perhaps he missed something? "Whatever, take your pitch." He instructed, tossing the ball over to Izuku who caught it handily.

"I'll just try and erase his quirk when he takes his pitch, that way we'll see if he's lying or not." He thought to himself. There was no way someone could have that level of power without a quirk, right?

Izuku strode over towards the circle that he was supposed to pitch from. As he predicted, Shouta was already suspicious of him. He'd just have to show him what he was made of. Izuku readied himself and heaved the softball into the air in one fluid motion, using all of his might to do so. A gust of wind was formed from the displaced air as Izuku launched the softball into the sky. Shouta held up the measuring device and announced his score.

"Seven hundred and fifty-three meters." Shouta stated tiredly. "Before we start teaching you to become heroes, we need to know what you're capable of, and this is how we're going to do it. This was just the demonstration, so it's time to step up to the plate."

Behind Shouta's tired and bored face, he was sweating bullets. He had tried unsuccessfully to erase Izuku's quirk when the boy took his throw. That meant that there was one of two explanations. The first of which was that Izuku had some sort of mutation quirk that he couldn't erase since it was always passively active, the second of which was that the boy was actually quirkless and that he had obtained that level of power through sheer determination and will. He would have to check his records later to follow up on these hypotheses.

"Guess I've gotten stronger. Thanks Bang." Izuku thought aloud as he exited the throwing circle. The class was in a stunned silence, you could practically hear Katsuki's eye twitching. After a few silent and awkward seconds, things returned to normal.

"Seven hundred and fifty-three meters? That's insane!" A red-headed boy exclaimed.

"I can throw it farther." Katsuki smugly thought to himself. However Izuku managed to get that strong, it didn't matter. In his mind, he was stronger.

"That looks fun! This is gonna be a blast" A pink skinned girl followed up. She obviously had some sort of mutated appearance, her eyes were black with yellow irises, and she had horns protruding from a mess of hair that was the same color as her pink skin.

"Oh? It looks fun does it? Do you plan on spending your three years here having a grand old time? If it's so exciting for you, allow me to make it more so. Whoever comes last in these tests is expelled." Shouta responded using a menacing and intimidating tone. At this point, Ochako leaned toward Izuku to whisper something to him as the class murmured discontentedly.

"Can he really do that on the first day of classes? It seems kinda harsh." She asked timidly. So far, Izuku was dead on about Shouta and his teaching practices. She was really hoping that he was all bark and no bite.

"Can't tell for sure, but I don't think there's anything against it, and I'm sure he's done it before. It's best to just take this seriously, even if he's bluffing. You'll do fine." Izuku replied, observing the class and their hushed but frantic antics in response to their teacher's announcement.

Shouta seemed to sense the apprehension in the air, so he decided to speak up. "If you think that I'm being unreasonable then you're wrong. Your three years here aren't going to be a walk in the park. If you were planning on meeting up at the local Mcdonalds for a little friendly chat then you should just leave now and save us the trouble. This is the hero course. From now until you graduate, you can expect nothing but hardships. If you even make it that far."

"I can already feel the pressure of the hero course. So this is U.A.'s baptism?" Tenya thought. "I must do my best then. I have to make the Iida name proud!"

The class then seemed to understand their situation. They filed wordlessly towards the area of the first exercise they would be doing, the fifty meter dash. The first two contestants, Izuku noticed, seemed to be in their element. Tenya Iida and a girl with frog like aspects raced each other. Tenya dashed forward, earning a time of 2.17 seconds. The frog girl followed soon after that with a time of 5.34 seconds. After them, Ochako and a boy with a large, muscular tail and simple blonde hair raced against each other. Ochako used her quirk to make her clothes weightless, while the tail wielding boy hopped along using his extra appendage. The boy ahead of her received a time of 6.93 seconds, while Ochako received a time of 7.02 seconds, just barely losing to him. The next race consisted of a sparkling french-japanese boy and the pink girl from earlier that said that these tests would be fun. The blonde boy was wearing some sort of belt, likely something to augment or facilitate the usage of his quirk. He fired a continuous laser from his navel while the pink girl slid along on acid that she had produced from her hands. The boy's laser fizzled out halfway through, depositing him roughly on the ground before he recovered and produced it once again. He earned a time of 5.23 seconds while the acid girl had a time of 5.15 seconds, just ahead of him. The young man mentioned something about the drawback of his quirk and how fashionable it was, but Izuku didn't quite catch it.

The next race was between himself and Katsuki. The explosive teen crossed his arms so that his palms were facing away from his center of gravity as they prepared themselves for the race. When the race commenced, Katsuki released rapid fire, medium strength explosions from both of his hands, propelling himself forwards while attempting to knock over Izuku in the process. Izuku had noticed his plan, and had dashed ahead of him as soon as the race began, dashing to the finish line, receiving a time of 1.94 seconds while Katsuki received a time of 3.04 seconds. Izuku stood straight up, having lowered his center of gravity to sprint more effectively, a strategy he had learned from training with Bang. Needless to say, Katsuki was moderately displeased that Izuku had bested him, while Tenya was simply surprised.

"If I had been able to shift into my highest gear to maximize my speed, I could've bested his time or at least been close. To think that there are individuals who can match my family's speed . . incredible! I'll have to have a proper race against him in the future" Tenya thought, smiling to himself.

The next test was the grip strength test. Most of the contestants received average scores, even the likes of Katsuki did. Some of the larger students there had understandably higher scores though. One such example Izuku noted was one of the students who had some sort of quirk that allowed him to have multiple arms. He used these extra appendages to almost crush the grip instrument, receiving a score of 654 kgw, much to the astonishment of his peers. Another example was a rather large boy with spiky brown hair who ate some sugar cubes he had on his person, bulking up considerably and earning an impressive score for himself as well. There was another large and much more skittish boy who received an above average score, but it wasn't anywhere close to that of the two before him. Finally deciding to give the test a go for himself, Izuku squeezed the instrument with all of his might. He looked down when he heard the instrument begin to crack. This was a rather sturdy instrument, so he didn't completely break it as he could still clearly read his score, 937 kgw. Thankfully, nobody was really paying attention to him, so his score went unnoticed in favor of the other students focusing on their own tests or focusing on the multi armed student who they thought had the highest score. One short, purple haired boy even said that "octopuses are sexy", causing Izuku to shudder.

The third trial was the standing long jump. Izuku noted that several students excelled at this activity, including the frog like girl, the sparkling laser wielding boy, and Katsuki. The frog-like girl used her powerful lower body to spring forward from her position at the start point. The fabulous boy from earlier turned his back to the field and propelled himself backwards with his naval laser. Izuku noted that while this quirk was certainly powerful, the boy was suffering from its aftereffects, primarily nausea. Lastly, Katsuki launched himself across the field with his continuous explosions, landing behind the finish line with a victorious and prideful expression decorating his face. After him, Izuku squatted down and cleared the field in a single leap, Katsuki gritting his teeth as he did so.

The fourth trial was side to side sustained jumping. Naturally, Katsuki was a natural at this, propelling himself back and forth with his explosions as he sustained it midair. Oddly enough, the purple haired boy also proved his mettle during this test. He created piles of balls that he had detached from his head, which Izuku now realized was his quirk, and bounced between them at incredibly high speeds. Izuku had to hand it to him as well, the little guy had a useful quirk. Come his turn, Izuku hopped back and forth with astonishing frequency, his movements becoming more and more audible as he began to pass back and forth nearly three times a second.

The fifth part of their testing consisted of the softball pitch that Izuku demonstrated earlier. The two most notable pitchers were Katsuki and Ochako. Katsuki walked up to the throwing circle with a determined and prideful smirk adorning his features. "I'm gonna throw it so much farther than that fucking dumbass, these extras will be fucking blown away." He thought to himself.

"DIE!" He screamed as he used the most powerful blast he could create without harming himself to launch the softball into the stratosphere, a sonic boom erupting across the field as he did so. Aizawa held up the measuring device to show a score of 843 meters.

Katsuki smiled to himself. He could throw farther than Izuku, much farther. Whatever strength Izuku was pulling out of his ass for these tests, he was stronger than him. That quirkless nerd would learn his place.

"Die?" Izuku questioned aloud, raising an eyebrow at his explosive rival. Izuku chalked it up to some things never changing, Katsuki's attitude being one of them. The other notable applicant was Ochako, who received the highest score simply by using the most basic application of her quirk: making it weightless. She tossed it lightly, carefully touching it with all five of her fingers as the softball drifted off into the sky, never ceasing its momentum as it left their field of vision. Aizawa boredly displayed a score of infinity for the class to see. Izuku had already completed this test, so he didn't have to do it again.

Ochako approached him while they proceeded to the next trial. "Well if it isn't infinity girl." Izuku teasingly said.

"Very funny." She responded in mock irritation. "You sure were right about that Bakugou guy, his personality matches his quirk."

"Yeah, it does. And I was right about him being a good guy under all that too, he just needs to mellow out a little bit. It'll happen sooner or later." Izuku responded, gazing contemplatively at his explosive rival. Katsuki was yelling something about "extras" needing to walk behind him instead of in front.

The remaining three tests elapsed without anything especially notable occuring. These tests measured physical fitness more than they did quirk strength and application, and all of the students were very fit. After all, they were accepted into U.A. and they wanted to be heroes.

It finally came time for Shouta to announce the results of the tests. The apprehension was so heavy that the air itself weighed down on the shoulders of the students, each wondering if their journey to become heroes would end that day. The silence was broken by Shouta announcing something while wearing an ear to ear shit eating grin.

"Oh by the way, I lied about expelling the lowest performer. It was a logical ruse." He said before revealing their scores. Izuku came first, and not far behind him were Katsuki and some boy named Shouto Todoroki. Occupying last place was Minoru Mineta, who was crying tears of relief after learning that he wasn't going to be expelled.

From Izuku's first impressions of his classmates, he could already tell that he was going to have a few troublesome rivals. He had methods to deal with Katsuki, but that didn't consider the blonde adapting to Izuku's strategies, something that would inevitably happen during their clashes. Also, Shouto and Fumikage would be powerful adversaries as well, as the intangible and forceful natures of their quirks countered his martial arts, as peerless as they were. This was going to be an interesting year.


	5. Trial of Battle!

**A/N: Well. I don't really have an excuse for how long this took to write. The best I can say is that I just lost motivation to continue the story. The big gap I took might have affected my writing style or the quality of this piece, so feel free to let me know if that is evident.**

Shouta walked in silence away from the P.E. grounds while digesting the results of the test. After delivering the news to the students, he received the reactions he had expected from his little white lie. Some of the kids were more outraged than others, but if they couldn't handle a little bit of deception then they weren't meant for the world of heroes anyway. The realm of professional heroics was a harsh and unforgiving environment for all of its occupants. Heroes constantly put their lives on the line for the betterment of society, but there was so much more present behind the lines than what simply meets the eye. Shouta had been on countless missions. He had participated in desperate rescues, sensitive operations, and risky raids. These students had a long and arduous road ahead of them if they wanted to become professional heroes, and it was his job to lead them there. Some of these kids would need a lot more work than others, and some of them simply confused him, case in point being Izuku Midoriya.

It didn't make sense for someone to wield that level of power without a quirk, it was unheard of, unprecedented. Regardless of whatever the source of his power was, Izuku was just that, powerful. It just wasn't something Shouta could deny, but that didn't mean it made any sense. He was still lost in thought about his troublesome student when he walked straight into All Might as the pro hero practically appeared out of thin air in front of him.

"I'd like to speak with you about one of your students." He declared in an unnecessarily boisterous tone.

"Which one?" Shouta responds boredly, ceasing his leisurely pace to turn towards All Might.

"Young Midoriya." He answered, furrowing his golden brow contemplatively, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"What about him?" He responds, quirking a lazy eyebrow at his fellow hero.

"I'm sure you've learned by now that young Midoriya is quirkless. And despite this, he can still compete with the other students and even some heroes. I met him almost a year before the exam when he defeated a villain I was pursuing. I learned after that how he acquired his power. Do you remember the old hero Silver Fang?"

Shouta narrowed his eyebrows and nodded solemnly, his face taking on a more serious expression.

"Bang took the young man in when he was four, and trained him since then until now. He has nearly mastered his and his brother's style, given more time he will perfect them." All Might explained.

Shouta's expression morphed into one of exasperation. "That explains nothing. Martial arts are just that, martial arts. How is he as strong as he is?" He asked, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

All Might tilted his head in confusion, obviously Shouta wasn't getting it. "I wasn't finished explaining. Bang is quirkless as well. I never mentioned it because it never really came up, especially after he retired." He elaborated, causing the erasure hero to furrow his brow further and shift his gaze to the side.

"So quirkless people can just get that strong?"

"Apparently so. I don't know the reasoning behind it but it's best that we just accept it and move on. It's up to you to figure out ways to train young Midoriya since he doesn't have a quirk to develop. And Aizawa?" All Might asked, resting an unwanted large hand on the shaggy man's shoulder.

"Keep a close eye on him. I trust Bang and his judgement, but we don't need another hero hunter on our hands. We can't let something like Garou happen again, anti-human martial arts are just too dangerous." All Might said, creating a moment of tension before Shouta turned away and resumed walking, looking over his shoulder at All Might once he was a few paces away.

"Don't worry, All Might. I will." He ominously said, turning his back to the symbol of peace once again and continuing his trek back to the main building, leaving All Might on his own in the peaceful silence of the scenery.

"I'm sorry for doing this to you, Young Midoriya. We just can't be too careful these days." He said to himself before turning and going on his own way.

Throughout the day, there were whisperings. Izuku Midoriya was the subject of an unspoken debate in class 1-A as they proceeded through the rest of their first classes, which all proved to be quite uneventful. They had caught on that he was quirkless. They remembered what Izuku had said, how their classmate had declared his quirkless status himself, but it was all just so difficult to believe. For starters, like their teacher they were confused by the entire prospect of it. One didn't just acquire such power through sheer will and ambition, but through the mastery of the quirk that they were born with. This was the very fact that their entire society of heroics was built upon. Izuku being quirkless challenged everything that they were conditioned to believe, everything that they perceived as normal, yet there he was.

Several reactions of differing magnitudes erupted across the classroom during this debate. Some quietly accepted it, because at the end of the day strength was strength. It did not matter where it came from so long as it was there. Others were threatened by it. A powerful rival had appeared wielding no quirk, and thus having no drawback or weakness to exploit. The majority however, continued to be confused by it. No theory they could concoct could even hope to explain the nature of their green haired classmate's power, and thus the boy continued to be something of an enigma to class 1-A throughout their first day of classes.

Soon enough, the first day was over. Nothing else eventful had occured besides the quirk apprehension test, and thankfully nobody had been expelled yet. They could only hope the second day would be more fruitful than the first. Little did they know that an even greater challenge awaited them in their immediate future.

As the day reached its conclusion, Izuku found himself walking home alongside Ochako and his new friend Tenya. The large boy tended to be slightly overbearing, but he had a good heart that more than made up for it. Their conversation reached its fever pitch when Tenya decided to voice his concerns.

"Midoriya, is it true that you are quirkless?" He asked.

"Yeah, toe joint and everything." Izuku replied with an amused chuckle. This was a conversation he was going to have to get used to repeating.

"Then how did you acquire your strength? I haven't heard of any other quirkless individuals of your caliber before, and quirks have existed for some time now."

"I was trained to surpass my limits by my master, Bang. I've been practicing his martial arts since I was four, and along the way I just kept getting stronger and stronger." He replied, smiling proudly at his bespectacled classmate.

"Bang . . " Tenya paused, resting his hand on his chin. "Would that happen to be the retired hero Silver Fang?"

"Yeah that's him. He's quirkless as well." Izuku slowed his pace as he said this, turning around so that he could face his friend as he processed this information.

Tenya halted in his gait and turned towards Izuku, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. There was a brief moment of tense silence before he could properly respond. "Well I suppose that explains things." He answered before seemingly dropping the subject entirely.

The trio continued their commute to the train station in a silence that was only broken once Tenya said his farewell when he had to go his separate way to board his train, leaving Izuku and Ochako alone.

"Hey . . Midoriya?" Ochako asked, glancing over at her companion. "How come Bakugou calls you Deku?"

"It's the old nickname that he gave me when we were kids. He calls me it because it means 'useless', which is what he thought I was since I don't have a quirk like everyone else." He said, releasing a worn out sigh.

"It has more of a 'never give up' vibe to me, especially since that's just what you did, you didn't give up, and here you are! It's kinda cute too." She told him, flashing him the toothiest, brightest smile he had ever seen. Izuku was forced to look away, his sight recoiling in response to how bright she was, a faint blush adorning his cheeks.

"Deku it is then." He responded as he finally managed to return his gaze to her, not trusting his voice to serve him for much more than that. They continued their walk home, enjoying the sunny afternoon together until it came time for them to go their separate ways, deciding unanimously to spend their afternoon preparing for tomorrow instead of socializing with each other. Tomorrow would come before they knew it, bringing with it challenges that they must be ready to face.

The following day began in a much more predictable manner than its predecessor had. There were no surprises in store for the students of 1-A from their homeroom teacher, and it seemed that there would be no requirement to prove their mettle. The day appeared to be a typical one, similar to any other highschool across Japan save for their classes being taught by professional heroes. They were even given an opportunity to properly introduce themselves during their homeroom class.

"Alright you lot. Since we're all still here after yesterday, it's time for you to formally introduce yourselves to your classmates. Come on up to the podium and give us your name, quirk, and an interesting fact about yourself. Try not to be too rowdy, I'll be taking a nap while you kids take care of this." Shouta announced tiredly before donning his yellow sleeping bag and slumping against a wall, seemingly falling asleep instantaneously.

This was the perfect opportunity for Izuku to properly scout his competition. He had already seen and taken note of the various quirks of all of his classmates, of course, and he had even begun to record notes and hypotheses about them. Having it formally given to you was always welcome though. To his surprise and disappointment in himself, he had misjudged several of his classmates at first glance. For instance, Shouto's quirk wasn't just ice, but fire as well, though he vowed to never use it in combat. Fumikage's quirk was in actuality a separate entity entirely dwelling within him that he could summon forth as he pleased, though it became unruly and dangerous at night or in extreme darkness. Tsuyu was also a classmate that was full of surprises, as she could secrete weak poison and remove her stomach through her mouth in addition to her other anamorphic abilities. She dubbed these as useless, but Izuku judged that they could be quite helpful when used properly. Another notable quirk was that of Momo, as the possibilities of simply being able to 'create' anything she knew the makeup of were seemingly boundless. It also turns out that there was another martial artist in the class. The tailed boy, Ojiro Mashirao, also relied on martial arts for combat, though he neglected to mention which ones. Finally, it was his turn.

"Hello, my name is Izuku Midoriya. I don't have a quirk, though I have mastered two very powerful martial arts styles, would you like a demonstration?" He inquired, removing his uniform jacket so that he could move properly in order to provide his offered demonstration. The class erupted into murmurs and several people raised their hands, the first of which he answered being Ojiro's, who he already had some level of respect for as a fellow martial artist.

"What martial arts do you practice? I don't know any styles that allow the user to become as strong as you are." He inquired, nearly shouting exasperatedly by the end of his sentence.

"Excellent question." Izuku responded, smiling knowingly at his classmate's confusion. "The styles I practice are the flowing water rock smashing fist and the whirlwind iron murderous fist." He explained, taking a stance. Beautiful blue streams followed his movements as he displayed a stance to the class. As he dropped his stance, several more hands shot up almost in response, the first of which he answered being Momo.

"You explained your fighting style but not your strength, how did you acquire your power, and is it something just anyone can do?" She inquired, addressing the elephant in the room directly. As she finished her inquiry, several of the raised hands fell comically.

"Ah, that. According to my master, quirkless individuals have the potential to grow incredibly strong given proper training. He explained that we have more forgiving 'limiters' to our power, so that through will and perseverance we can ascend to the ranks of heroes and stand beside them." He explained, echoing the words of his teacher while smiling proudly, reading the reactions of varying degrees of satisfaction throughout the class.

"I see." Momo responded, dropping her head in thought before an inquisitive expression lit up her angular features once again. "Who is your teacher?"

"My teacher is the retired hero Silver Fang, I was trained by him and his brother since I was four." Izuku responded, though Shouta cut him off before he could continue, standing up and silencing the class in the process.

"Alright you lot, head to your next class. Homeroom is over." He announced before slouching back down to the same position he occupied previously, resuming his slumber. The remainder of the classes passed by without event, that was until foundational heroics came.

The students sat in their respective desks restlessly, awaiting the arrival of their teacher. This was the first time this class was being held, so they hadn't the faintest notion of who would be holding it. Gut wrenching anticipation swirled throughout the air as the heroes to be chatted amongst themselves restlessly. All of their expectations were shattered when All Might burst through the door wearing his silver age hero costume.

"I AM HERE! Coming through the door, like a normal person!" He shouted, succeeding his words with boisterous laughter. Little did he know, that wasn't something the typical person did when entering a classroom.

"This is the class of Foundational Hero Studies! In this class you'll be building yourself up through various trials, starting with the Trial of Battle!" He exclaimed, holding up a plain sign with the words "BATTLE" etched into it, his trademark smile adorning his features. As he explained this, four cubbies emerged from the classroom walls, each containing five metal cases that held their hero uniforms.

Izuku couldn't quite see Katsuki's expression, but from experience he knew that the explosive boy was wearing an ear-to-ear sinister grin. After all, he just received the opportunity to use his quirk on people and prove that he was the best. The students rushed over to the cubbies and obtained their costumes, being further instructed by All Might to get changed and gather at Ground B.

As he walked towards the locker rooms, Izuku thought back to when he designed his costume. Since he was quirkless, he relied solely on the strength of his own body and his mastery of martial arts, so a flashy costume would be of no use to him. This he found out when he consulted Bang on the matter, though he had formed a similar opinion himself beforehand. He ordered a simple black bodysuit, one that would afford him all of the necessary movements and safeguards, being fireproof, waterproof, and mostly tear resistant. He paid no attention to his classmates filing out of the changing rooms one by one, leaving him as the last to arrive. He was too busy trying to figure out how exactly to get this damned thing on. As it turns out, putting on a skin tight bodysuit was more difficult than he had anticipated. Once he had successfully adorned his costume, he started walking towards ground beta, checking his motions all the while, growing used to the way his costume fit his body.

As he emerged from the corridor, he noticed that all of his classmate's eyes were upon him, scrutinizing his choice of clothing. He strode up to stand beside Tenya and Ochako, All Might acknowledging his presence with a firm nod while his classmates raised their eyebrows at his simplistic uniform. It covered from his neck to his ankles, and the sleeves reached all the way to his wrists. It's shade was jet black, similar in color to the shirts he always wore in casual situations. Overall, it was a very simplistic and plain choice of clothing.

"Nice of you to finally join us, young Midoriya." All Might stated, breaking through the chatters of the class to address his student. "A hero must always be on time, so try not to take so much time getting dressed next time." He said, causing several more heroes in training to chuckle at Izuku's expense before returning their attention to their teacher.

"Now that everyone's here, Let's see what you are made of. It's time for the trial of Battle!" All Might exclaimed, beaming challengingly at his students.

Once All Might paused, Ochako approached Izuku, smiling embarrassedly and rubbing the back of her head as she did. "Nice costume Midoriya! It's really practical." She complimented, trying and failing to avert her eyes from the way it hugged his body. Meanwhile, Izuku was having similar issues with her costume, to which she took notice.

"I really wish I was more specific when I drew my submission for my costume, I didn't mean for it to be skin tight, it's kinda embarrassing." She confessed, rubbing the back of her neck and smiling sheepishly. When she turned her attention back towards All Might, Minoru came up to him holding his thumb up.

"Hero class is the best." He said, a perverse grin on his face as he shamelessly checked out Ochako. In response, Izuku caught his eye and forced enough faux killing intent into his gaze for it to be believable, resting a hand on the short pervert's shoulder.

"You shouldn't be doing that, you're here to be a hero, right?" He asked calmly, though his body language suggested that he wasn't calm in the slightest. Izuku and a now shell shocked Minoru turned their attention back to All Might as well, just in time to catch Tenya's question.

"Sensei, will we be using the same testing grounds as we did during the entrance exam?" He asked, raising his right hand robotically.

"That is not the case this time, Young Iida. Today, we'll be conducting an in-door battle trial. While most of the televised battles against villainy are outside, most often battles occur in doors instead. In this hero saturated society, all of our most cunning opponents lurk in the shadows." All Might explained, chuckling proudly as he did. "For this test, you'll separate into 'villain' and 'hero' groups for a two-on-two team battle!" All Might said, planting his hands on his hips in a heroic posture. As he finished his explanation, he received an onslaught of multiple questions at once, being forced to have them go one at a time before continuing with his explanation. "For this trial, the villain team will be guarding a nuclear weapon that they intend on deploying, and the heroes must stop their malevolent plan before it's too late!" He said, reading straight out of the manual as he continued. "If the heroes capture the villains or reach the nuclear core before the time runs out, they win! If the villains manage to keep the core the whole time or capture the heroes, they are victorious!" He finished, putting the book away in exchange for a box labeled 'lots'.

"Your teammates and opponents will be chosen by lottery!" He exclaimed, smiling boisterously at the class as every single one of them sweat dropped.

"By lottery?" Tenya questioned exasperatedly. "Is that really how we'll be doing it?"

Izuku, feeling the need to respond to this, spoke up. "Professional heroes are often forced to make impromptu team-ups with other heroes they might not know, so this is testing us on our ability to do that." He explained, receiving an acknowledging nod from his friend. At that, class 1-A was sectioned off into teams of two. Fortunately, he and Ochako were somehow placed on a team together. His girlfriend approached him giddily, both fists clenched in visible excitement.

"Man, what are the odds of us getting teamed together, it must be fate!" Ochako exclaimed, pumping her fist into her hand animatedly as she approached Izuku.

"I guess so, huh?" He replied as stoically as he could, having not yet grown accustomed to viewing her in her hero costume. He was kicking himself for being as affected by it as he was, but everything he tried to lessen its impact on him failed immensely. The heroic duo made their way to the designated waiting area, deciding to use the five minutes they were provided before the match to create a strategy against their opponents. They knew their quirks, explosion and engine, but they didn't know the layout of the building or the location in which the villain team would conceal the bomb. Arriving in their waiting area, Izuku turned to his girlfriend and addressed the elephant in the room.

"Bakugou's gonna go right for me as soon as we get to him. While I'm distracting him, I want you to search for the bomb and get by Iida, who will probably be guarding it. I should be able to take care of Bakugou and join you, but if I can't, this all depends on you." He explained curtly, a reassuring grin appearing on his features, knowing that he had just put her under a fair bit of pressure.

"Eh? This all rests on me?" She asked, pointing to herself with her index finger and furrowing her brows. "You aren't sure you can beat that Bakugou guy?"

"He and I have had our scuffles throughout the years, but never a fully fledged fight, and never with whatever support gear I saw him wearing before the teams were announced. Bakugou is strong, perhaps one of the strongest guys in the class, so I cannot take him lightly. I said he would be going straight for me, yes, but he's doing that knowing what I'm capable of and likely with a plan to counter my martial arts. He may be a hothead, but he is incredibly intelligent. We can't afford to underestimate him." He responded, running a stray hand through his hair and sighing deeply, only to be interrupted by All Might over the intercom.

"Heroes! Villains! Your five minutes of setup have elapsed, and you may now commence the Trial of Battle! Begin!" The symbol of peace bellowed, all contestants performing their final mental preparations before beginning their search for their opponents.

"Stay by the bomb four eyes, I'm gonna go kill Deku." Katsuki glowered, not even bothering to wait for a response before storming off towards the lower floors.

"What?! You can't just . . GAH!" Tenya responded, pumping his arms in harsh articulation before giving up and pacing around the bomb. Meanwhile, Izuku and Ochako had just made their way up to the second floor when . . .

"DEKU! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOUR SORRY ASS! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SCHOOL YOU USELESS NERD!" Katsuki screamed at the top of his lungs, rounding the corner and pulling the pin on his right gauntlet, using his left hand to lessen the recoil. Izuku only had a second to think. Ochako was only a few paces behind him, but she was still in the blast radius, so she would be injured if he dodged. His only option was to take it head on.

Just before the explosion went off, both teams heard All Might scream at the top of his lungs over the intercom. "YOUNG BAKUGOU! NO! YOU'LL KILL THEM!" only for his words to fall on deaf ears, his complaints following too late after the initiation of Katsuki's blast. The damage was already done.

Katsuki blinked in confusion when Izuku didn't dodge his attack, his ears still ringing mercilessly. What the hell was Deku thinking?! Contrary to his battle cry, he didn't actually want to kill his useless 'friend', so he pulled that stunt knowing full well that his opponent would dodge . . so why didn't he? He then glanced over at a now shell shocked Ochako, who had now fallen on her butt, tears forming in the corner of her eyes as her ears bled due to her proximity to the blast. It was in that instant that he understood. Was that damned idiot trying to make himself a martyr or something? It was while he was processing these thoughts that Ochako made her move. She was the first to snap out of the trance, remembering their plan before scrambling up and sprinting past a seemingly paralyzed Katsuki, dashing up the stairs and towards where the bomb might be.

In the observation room, the students could see the positions of all contestants as well as the interior and exterior of the battle area. Katsuki's explosion had obliterated half of the second and first floors, leaving the building standing on its last legs, but still standing nonetheless. A lone camera zoomed in on Izuku, trailing up the trenches his feet had made resisting the impact, finding him slouched over, his arms crossed in an X across his chest. His costume was in tatters, the silken shreds remaining giving it the appearance that a horde of explosive moths had ransacked it. It still covered what it was important to cover but not much else. Harsh burn marks were visible on his exposed skin, the fabric of whatever remained of his costume, especially his arms, completely singed.

At the same time, Katsuki had laid eyes on his opponent. Izuku allowed his arms to drop to his sides, slouching over as he did so and throwing up some combination of his lunch and blood from the impact of the blast which he had taken on point blank. Wiping his mouth and standing up straight, he made eye contact with his rival.

"He can still move? What the hell?" Kyouka asked, looking at All Might for confirmation she would not receive, everyone silently begging their teacher to end the match before things got worse, but he stood as still as a statue. This was a chance to see what Izuku was truly capable of.

When Izuku made eye contact with him, Katsuki felt as if his opponent was staring straight through him. He was broken out of his trance when Izuku started bellowing at him, his arms still hanging limply at his sides, seemingly still recovering from absorbing the gargantuan blast.

"I AM THE DEKU WHO'S VIBE IS NEVER GIVING UP, NOT THE DEKU WHO CAN'T DO ANYTHING! WHY DON'T I SHOW YOU!" He screamed, assuming a stance before leaping towards his opponent. From her position hiding behind a pillar hiding from Tenya, Ochako heard his words, her face lighting up in response. Not only was he unharmed enough to yell that loud, but he had also taken her twist on his old nickname to heart.

Katsuki blinked, attempting to dispel the vision of whatever he had just seen and heard, there was NO way Deku was still functioning after taking that hit, right? When he opened his eyes, Izuku had crossed the threshold, leaping up to the second story, right at him. His right arm and knee were now halfway through a striking motion and there was a battle-crazed expression on his face. His eyes were open wide, his irises miniscule specs within his sclera and a manic grin taking over his lips. Katsuki could even briefly see the brilliant coalescing streams that chased his limb's motions as he approached.

Katsuki blinked once more in disbelief, and that's when he felt it. Along each of the pressure points on the front of his body and almost everywhere else, with painstaking precision and lightning speed, Izuku placed unforgiving blows on his target, ending the exchange with a kick that sent the explosive teen careening into the opposite wall, crashing through it and nearly shattering the next one. Katsuki bounced off of the wall and onto the floor, where he remained conscious for several brief seconds before his body surrendered to the pain, his mind going blank. Izuku held the statue like stance of the kick for a brief moment before allowing his body to relax, angling his face towards the ceiling and breathing heavily, re-gathering himself before following in pursuit of Ochako and Tenya. He didn't bother to place capture tape on Katsuki, there was no need. His opponent wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, not after Izuku had damaged him so severely.

"What the hell . ." Eijirou murmured, seemingly awestruck by the turn of events. "He got back up after that . . He's so MANLY!" He exclaimed, clenching his right fist and crying tears of admiration. Despite their initial shock, the class seemed to have recovered enough to sweatdrop at their hardening classmate's antics, and even provide commentary on the match as the observation room erupted with chatter.

"What on earth was that? How was he able to move like that? Surely martial arts alone wouldn't afford him such strength, right?" Momo inquired in a harsh and disbelieving voice, looking to All Might for confirmation just as Kyouka did.

"That was so cool, who knew martial arts could be that strong!" Denki

"This, my young heroes in training, is anti-human martial arts!" All Might announced, thoroughly impressed rather than intimidated by Izuku's display of strength.

"Anti-human martial arts, huh?" Shouto thought aloud. It didn't matter how fast his opponent was or how good they were with their hands. Izuku Midoriya had nothing to defend against raw power.

Meanwhile, Ochako had found the bomb and by association, Tenya. Her friend was pacing back and forth in front of it restlessly, trying and failing to contact Katsuki and learn about whatever the hell was going on. Katsuki hadn't been captured, but neither had Izuku, and from what he could tell the fighting had stopped. What the hell was going on?!

Ochako took note of her friend's plight and used it to her advantage. Her speedy friend was distracted right now, and she just so happened to have a way of sneaking up to the bomb. She carefully touched her chest to de-weigh herself, pushing off ever so lightly from the wall to garner her some momentum, but not enough for her to be noticeable or to overshoot her target.

"Bakugou! Come in, Bakugou! Respond! What's going on? Why aren't you answering me! For heaven's sake, he had to just run off and face Midoriya and Uraraka alone, what was he thinking?" Tenya ranted beneath her, unaware of her presence above him and how she was just a hair's breadth away from touching the bomb when . . .

"Release!" She whispered to herself, allowing gravity to reclaim its hold on her body as she plummeted towards the bomb, securing it for the hero team before her opponent could respond to her surprise attack.

"The hero team WINS!" All Might announced over the intercom.


End file.
